Los Angeles police to offer gun-buyback program

[Frontpage]

Xinhua News Agency May 6 2009 9:49PM GMT

Los Angeles police to offer gun-buyback program

LOS ANGELES, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Police in Los Angeles and local businesses are sponsoring a gun-buyback program this weekend in an effort to get more lethal weapons off the streets, the city's civilian anti-gang czar said on Wednesday.

Gunowners can turn in their weapons at near 20 locations around the city on Saturday and receive gift cards worth 100 or 200 dollars, depending on the type of firearms surrendered.

"We are looking at this as a two-fold issue -- of getting guns off the streets and (hoping) to get people who have had guns sitting around for years to turn those in," said Rev. Jeff Carr, who was appointed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to lead the city's efforts against violent gangs.

Carr said that authorities are concerned about weapons being stolen and then turning up in a crime.

Los Angeles last time held a gun buyback program in the city more than 12 years ago, and organizers are unsure how successful the effort will be.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca has recently sponsored a number of gun-buyback programs in the area, with about 300 weapons surrendered during each campaign.

The events are being co-sponsored by grocery chain Ralph's and local television stations KCBS and KCAL. Sponsors have so far committed more than 120,000 dollars to the program.

The money will fund 100-dollar gift certificates for those surrendering handguns, shotguns and rifles, while owners of assault weapons like AK-47's, Uzis or AR-15 guns will be paid 200 dollars, organizers said.

Officials promised that police will not run ballistic tests on the weapons.

"We hope to get so many weapons that it wouldn't be practical to run ballistic tests," Carr said. "Also we wanted to encourage people to turn in weapons. The main thing is to reduce the amount of guns out there."

Source (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-05/07/content_11325926.htm)

[Bob La]

Good time for the gangs to get rid of murder weapons.
$200 for an AK or AR ?
How out of touch are these people ?

[Clinotus]

Way out of touch, but I wonder:


Carr said that authorities are concerned about weapons being stolen and then turning up in a crime.

Up here its SOP for weapons seized or taken to be melted to slag, I wonder if any effort will be given to run trace data on the serial numbers and return any 'stolen' firearms back to their rightful and legal owners. I wont hold my breath though.


The money will fund 100-dollar gift certificates for those surrendering handguns, shotguns and rifles, while owners of assault weapons like AK-47's, Uzis or AR-15 guns will be paid 200 dollars, organizers said.

In this recession? You'd be better off keeping the firearm.


Officials promised that police will not run ballistic tests on the weapons.

hahahahahahahahaha


"Also we wanted to encourage people to turn in weapons. The main thing is to reduce the amount of guns out there."

Through programs like this...and restrictive laws....and restrictions...

[Clinotus]

Gun buyback pleases some, angers others
$10,000 Luger, sawed-off shotgun among trove in L.A. gun buyback
By Rick Orlov, Staff Writer



GUN ROUND UP--Deputy police chief Charlie Beck looks on as Lt. Fred Booker takes aim with a tommy gun, one of almost 1,700 guns which were turned in to the Los Angeles Police Department over the weekend as part of a gun buyback program. Residents could turn in their weapons with no questions asked and receive a coupon for $100 worth of groceries. (Photo by David Crane/Staff)

A Luger pistol valued at $10,000, sawed-off shotguns, derringers, rifles and even a grenade launcher were among the 1,696 firearms turned in across the city on Saturday in a gun buyback program aimed at making the streets safer.

While the greater-than-expected take pleased officials, it upset some gun owners who say they were turned away because of high turnout. Owners were given Ralphs and Visa gift vouchers valued at $100 in exchange for their firearms, but many locations ran out.

"When we do this again, we want to make sure we raise more money," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said at a Parker Center news conference, where the weapons were displayed on tables, blankets and anywhere police could pile them.

"Look at this," Villaraigosa said as he pointed at the stock of a rifle. "It has an NRA sticker on it."

But the huge success of the program angered a number of gunowners, including a Chatsworth woman who contacted the Daily News to complain the event was "a joke."

"I went to one location at 10 and they were out of coupons by 10:15," she said, refusing to identify herself or the type of gun she wanted to exchange. "And, there were 20 cars ahead of me and they were all turned away."

The Rev. Jeff Carr, who as the city's gang coordinator developed the gun buy back program, said he was not surprised that some people were upset.

"But, we also had 500 people turn in guns after we ran out of the certificates," Carr said. "We think that people were looking for a
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reason to turn in their guns."

The final tally for the program was 40 assault weapons, 276 shotguns, 539 rifles and 841 handguns.

Also, the Sheriffs Department reported that it received another 800 weapons for which no certificates were issued.

The program was developed to coincide with Mothers Day weekend as an effort to get more guns off the street.

Deputy Chief Charlie Beck said officers were checking the serial numbers on the weapons to see if they had been reported stolen and they would be returned to their owners.

"Any ones that are left, we will melt down and offer the material to artists to make something out of," Beck said.

No ballistics tests were conducted on the weapons.

"We did that for two reasons," Beck said. "One, we would be overwhelmed in checking these. And, even if we could, it is more important to have a person linked to a crime than a weapon.

"Secondly, we made a promise to the public that we wouldn't check them. It was a contract with them. It was far more important to get these guns, many of them weapons of war, off the street."

Carr had raised $130,000 for the buyback, the first in city history on this scale. The Sheriff's Department has had similar programs in the past, usually targeted to a specific area.

Partners in the program included Ralph's Markets and television stations KCBS (Channel 2) and KCAL (Channel 9) as well as a number of community based organizations.


http://230grain.com/images/rsrh/20090511_091345_guns.jpg
GUN ROUND UP--Deputy police chief Charlie Beck looks on as Lt. Fred Booker takes aim with a tommy gun, one of almost 1,700 guns which were turned in to the Los Angeles Police Department over the weekend as part of a gun buyback program. Residents could turn in their weapons with no questions asked and receive a coupon for $100 worth of groceries. (Photo by David Crane/Staff)

The kicker here is this photo. Everytime one of these politicos is involved in the actual capture of weapons they have the largest dung eating grins on their faces...while holding the firearm. I understand the conquest and joy part, but taking a picture with the firearm? I never understood it.

Maybe I'll reuse the image for pro-gun rights. ;)

[Fang]

It's simple: The strongly anti-gun types actually really love guns, but they have various hangups that prevent them from admitting this. They know guns are bad and therefore interpret their attraction thereto as some unholy destructive gunlust common to all people. Just look at their faces, though, when they get to hold a gun for a photo op--they love it as much as you or I inspecting a favorite rifle.

Also, that's not a tommy gun.

[Clinotus]

It's simple: The strongly anti-gun types actually really love guns, but they have various hangups that prevent them from admitting this. They know guns are bad and therefore interpret their attraction thereto as some unholy destructive gunlust common to all people. Just look at their faces, though, when they get to hold a gun for a photo op--they love it as much as you or I inspecting a favorite rifle.



Exactly. You can see nothing but shear joy on their faces.


http://230grain.com/images/rsrh/funs.jpg

[Clinotus]

Sure there is a lot junk in there but there looks to be quite a few good firearms in there are well that are far undervalued for $100-200.

At least the program did well.


http://230grain.com/images/rsrh/j9wqr4.jpg

http://230grain.com/images/rsrh/610xwwa.jpg

http://230grain.com/images/rsrh/610xvsu.jpg

http://230grain.com/images/rsrh/610xuuo.jpg

http://230grain.com/images/rsrh/610xuzp.jpg

[Bob La]

My brothers father inlaw turned in Luger he brought back from the war.
I know they do turn-in's in Asbury Park and he lives nearby.
He told me this yesterday, I could have cried.
He actually liked to shoot it and said it was accurate but he's 83 now and didn't want a gun around. He should have told me...

[Clinotus]

My brothers father inlaw turned in Luger he brought back from the war.
I know they do turn-in's in Asbury Park and he lives nearby.
He told me this yesterday, I could have cried.
He actually liked to shoot it and said it was accurate but he's 83 now and didn't want a gun around. He should have told me...


Thats horrid. I think the worst side of the turn your guns in and other programs, and the demonization of firearms on a whole have robbed all of us in the long run of some valuable relics and testaments to actual history.

We had a machine gun captured by Alvin C. York (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_York) that was held at a library here, and the library could do nothing with the gun as it was not registered. The ATF actually told them to destroy it, despite it being a historical relic and valued at over $100,000 dollars.

Check out one of the articles about it Here (http://www.itemlive.com/articles/2007/04/23/news/news01.txt).

Pretty sad.

[Fang]

This thread is making me sad. :(