The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it.
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday at noon.
Today’s question:
QUESTION: Do you think local law enforcement agencies in Contra Costa County should hold gun buyback events, where agencies would give gun owners $100 gift cards in exchange for firearms, with no questions asked?
Talk about it.
28 comments
No. It’s a feel good publicity stunt that serves no purpose, except to give the illusion that they are doing a public service, and it costs the taxpayer’s money. It seems to me that only a few guns are turned in, and most of the ones I’ve seen appear to be old. With over 200 million guns in the US, the few that are turned in, will not make a difference. And, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s one less gun, how many people turned in their old gun, then went out and bought a new one?
No
I would turn in my broken 22 that i paid 85 bucks for just to take the 100 and go buy a new glock lmao
I don’t think gun buybacks work. If someone wants a gun they will get one, one way or another.
Total waste of taxpayer dollars sponsored by a few “pat yourself on the back” political hacks!!!
No it’s a waste of tax payers money.It’s not going to save lives or fight crime.
I’m shocked that we are up to two comments now and no one has pointed out it’s not a buyback because the police never owned them. Whatever. I don’t have an issue with it since I’m guessing most of them are sitting around unwanted and maybe owned by grandma who inherited it and just lets it sit in a drawer. I don’t even think of it as a gun control issue, but more about cleaning out your cabinets at home. It’s just a piece of unwanted metal.
The only guns ever “taken off the streets” at these events are ones that would never have been used to commit crimes, anyway. No self-respecting criminal is going to turn in his guns for Target gift cards or whatever they’re offering.
“Self Respecting”? I think that ship sailed when the decision was made to become a criminal….
But you’re right, Target gift card for a gun? Nah! It won’t happen.
What use is a gift card when everything in the store is already free?
np
opps no
No. Why not try to remove illegal items/individuals instead of taking tax payer money to do something that is little more than a headline for some politicians/bureaucrats to errantly convince themselves they are doing something
Not a chance. What criminal is going to turn in a gun? I might turn in a few broken, lower receivers. But that’s about it. I will take the gift card that they give me and go buy more ammo.
How about the police sell the guns back to people who want them? Background check first. I bet they get a pretty cool gun in once in awhile. I would mind a good lever action 30 30.
So……… I hate these things, that being said there a lot of snowflakes in our society. I believe these things are no different than the mask thing as they give people a feeling like they have some control on the situation. The reality is they do not work, they do not solve anything and they will never take guns away from the sh%#heads that are causing this distress. If it makes a few fragile individuals in our society feel safe then knock yourselves out. Real responsible gun owners will never relinquish their firearms as they are an investment and a source of security for them their neighbors and their family.
Some people get paid to turn in guns. I’m okay with that. It won’t bring down the guns/rifles/etc that are already in circulation because more are bought or made all the time.
But if they are going to do gun buyback that should also include any ammunition that goes with the gun. Just because a gun,etc is brought in for money doesn’t mean the ammunition for it can’t be used anymore.
No. Waste of money.
Can we start with buying back the gun of Oakland Police Chief – recently accused of firing his gun inside police headquarters, hit and run and improper conduct?
It wasn’t the Chief. It was an officer who other officers didn’t write up the report about properly.
“Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong has been placed on administrative leave, the mayor announced Thursday.”
https://abc7news.com/oakland-police-chief-leronne-armstrong-administrative-leave-misconduct-investigation/12720512/
@YOYOHOP – I’m not sure if you posted a link to that story as an “I stand corrected” moment or you simply didn’t read the article you linked.
“Buyback”, is a misnomer, as others have indicated. These are nothing more than tyrannist politicos, pandering to their sycophant fan-base, with their oh-so-bright virtue signaling. These events do, however, lend themselves to other purchases. So there is some positive opportunity, there. The biggest issue is their recording the vehicle license plates, of participants. Any police department claiming they, don’t… is absolutely 100% lying. Keep yer powder dry and stay frosty, my friends.
I echo the sentiments of others here: gun buyback programs are at best a political stunt. The worst part about them is that it normalizes the transaction style, possibly reducing public outcry if they become INvoluntary (like the one in Australia in 1996).
Widows (and widowers) that have firearms and related paraphernalia belonging to their late spouse are probably the #1 participant in these buyback programs. It’s possible that those pieces could be stolen from the home in a robbery and used ‘on the street’.
There are a few videos on YouTube of FFL’s setting up shop on the street corner down the block from the police station having a gun buyback. They offer free appraisal and cash payment for fair market value. While I don’t think that’s a stunt most Claycord area gun shops would want to pull, there is something to be learned.
I think that gun shops need to be more accessible and friendly, and we should find ways to get those unwanted guns into the hands of responsible collectors, instead of being destroyed (or hoarded) by law enforcement.
The other guns that show up at buybacks are broken/junk/heavily damaged ones. There should be a clear, low-cost, and accessible process to ensure that those derelict firearms are disposed of properly.
When did we vote to allow our taxpayer money to be utilized for these “buy backs”? Was a proposition on the ballot at some point?
No, I don’t think these so called “buyback” events should take place.
Whoever has a firearm and doesn’t want it anymore, already has two perfectly good ways of disposing of it:
1) Sell it to a licensed dealer (that is a gun shop). If their firearm is worthless then see 2);
2) Take it to a police station and surrender it, anytime.
Either way accomplishes same thing and would not require any tax money to be spent.
Or you could throw it in a dumpster outside a grocery store near a high school…
No – even LE says it doesn’t deter crime – perps don’t don’t in their guns – duh
Comments are closed.