Los Angeles police offer gift cards to take guns off streets

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://news.yahoo.com/los-angeles-police-offer-gift-cards-guns-off-012126480.html

Reuters – 8 hrs ago

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Police traded gift cards for guns in Los Angeles on Wednesday, in a buyback program Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced as a crime-fighting response to the deadly shooting rampage in Newtown, Connecticut.

Police officers handed out $200 grocery store gift cards to people who turned in an automatic weapon, and $100 gift cards to those who provided a handgun, rifle or shotgun.

Los Angeles has held an annual gun buyback since 2009, and similar events have been organized in years past in several other cities, including Detroit and Boston. Police in San Diego had a buyback earlier this month.

Some experts say the buybacks have little effect in reducing gun violence, but Villaraigosa touted the buyback program as one step that can be taken in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, on December 14 that claimed the lives of 20 children and six adult staff members.

The shooter, Adam Lanza, killed himself and also shot to death his mother at the home he shared with her, police said.

Los Angeles normally has its gun buyback in May, but Villaraigosa announced last week that the city would have this special buyback in response to the Newtown tragedy.

"There are a number of things we can do. This is just one of them," Villaraigosa said on CNN. "We've got to also address the culture of violence that we've got in this country."

At last count, the Los Angeles gun buyback had collected 1,366 firearms, including 477 handguns and 49 assault weapons, said Vicki Curry, a spokeswoman for the mayor.

The buyback ended at 4 p.m. local time, but a final tally of guns collected was not expected to be released before Thursday. In May, the city's annual gun buyback program collected 1,673 firearms at six locations, compared to two locations used for the program on Wednesday, Curry said.

At each of the locations where the buyback was held, a line of cars stretched around the block, Curry said. People dropping off their guns were asked to leave them in the trunks of their cars, where officers retrieved the weapons. Those surrendering their guns were allowed to remain anonymous.

While officials in Los Angeles and elsewhere have said the gun buybacks help keep streets safe, a 2004 report by the National Research Council of the National Academies questioned that conclusion.

Among the report's findings were that guns surrendered in buybacks tend to be old or inherited from previous owners, and not likely to be used in crime. Also, gun owners find it easy to replace their firearms, according to the report, which was titled "Firearms and Violence: A Critical Review."

[himher 634]

(laughing)

"They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

Ben Franklin

[Teddy B 17,251]

At last count LA had collected over 2500 legal and illegal guns including assault weapons in just one day.

L.A. gun buyback runs short of gift cards

Turnout for Los Angeles' gun buyback program was so strong that officials struggled to have enough gift cards to give in exchange for weapons.

By the afternoon, the event had already surpassed 1,673 guns collected last year, and officials were scrambling to get more gift cards, which were donated by Ralphs.

The final number of guns turned in will be announced Thursday.

Thousands of people converged on the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena and a site in Van Nuys.

Cars queued up for blocks at the drive-through events, with the city giving up to $100 for handguns, shotguns and rifles, and up to $200 for assault weapons. There was a bit of haggling involved, but no questions asked.

He said the buyback program had taken in 8,000 guns since it began in 2009, and was just one part of a comprehensive police strategy that has reduced violent crime in recent years. Police Chief Charlie Beck said it was critical component.

LA Gun Buy Back

[bigdog 376]

Thats why I moved now only bad guys have guns.

[Teddy B 17,251]

Thats why I moved now only bad guys have guns.

Too bad you didn't stick around to reap the benefits. Since LA started the gun buy back program in 2009, violent crime has dropped by 33%. Imagine that!

Villaraigosa notes that since 2009, Los Angeles has collected 8,000 guns at buybacks, a period in which violent crime in the city has dropped by 33 percent.

My link

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

At last count LA had collected over 2500 legal and illegal guns including assault weapons in just one day.

LOL I am sure Compton is so safe now. I would be willing to bet almost everything I own that not one single criminal turned in a gun that was his, that was in any kind of decent shape. . I am sure quite a few were stolen.

[bigdog 376]

Too bad you didn't stick around to reap the benefits. Since LA started the gun buy back program in 2009, violent crime has dropped by 33%. Imagine that!

[/quote

Liars figure and figures lie.

[Teddy B 17,251]

LOL I am sure Compton is so safe now. I would be willing to bet almost everything I own that not one single criminal turned in a gun that was his, that was in any kind of decent shape. . I am sure quite a few were stolen.

You would be betting wrong, as usual. And yes, quite a few were stolen, that's part of the reason for the program genius. I've come to not expect much from you in the way of intelligent conversation, and that's a bet I win everytime.

name='bigdog' timestamp='1356616201' post='5890037']

Liars figure and figures lie.

And ofcourse you have statistics to prove what I posted is wrong.

Edited December 27, 2012 by Teddy B

[Karee 4,189]

This is like CBP busting a guy with a couple kilos of coke at the border and saying they are winning the war on drugs. We have more than 300 million guns in this country. Bottom line.

[Karee 4,189]

Duplicate threads.

[Teddy B 17,251]

This is like CBP busting a guy with a couple kilos of coke at the border and saying they are winning the war on drugs. We have more than 300 million guns in this country. Bottom line.

No, this is like the CBP busting a guy with a couple kilos of coke and saying, they busted a guy with a couple kilos of coke. No one has misrepresented anything, you however are trying very hard to downplay the truth. Fact is gun buybacks work.

[bigdog 376]

You would be betting wrong, as usual. And yes, quite a few were stolen, that's part of the reason for the program genius. I've come to not expect much from you in the way of intelligent conversation, and that's a bet I win everytime.

And ofcourse you have statistics to prove what I posted is wrong.

No I'm just a CA POST certified dude, with 40+ years of experience. Good luck with governor moonbeam.

[Teddy B 17,251]

No I'm just a CA POST certified dude, with 40+ years of experience. Good luck with governor moonbeam.

That's great!

[Karee 4,189]

No, this is like the CBP busting a guy with a couple kilos of coke and saying, they busted a guy with a couple kilos of coke. No one has misrepresented anything, you however are trying very hard to downplay the truth. Fact is gun buybacks work.

There are no facts here. So you're seriously going to attribute people turning in some unwanted crappy guns for gift cards to a reduction in violence? Where's the link between the two?

[himher 634]

http://deadlinelive.info/2011/02/26/first-ever-austinites-outbid-police-in-gun-buyback-counter-program/

This is how we "buy back" in Texas.

We just outbid the police then donate the guns to those who cannot afford them

Edited December 27, 2012 by himher