Gifts for Guns

[economist]

Gifts for Guns Program Brings in Record Weapon Haul

Sunday , December 07, 2008
LOS ANGELES —

A program to exchange guns for gifts has brought in a record number of weapons this year as residents hit hard by the economy look under the bed and in closets to find items to trade for groceries. The annual Gifts for Guns program wound down Sunday in Compton, a working class city south of Los Angeles that has long struggled with gun and gang violence. In a program similar to ones in New York and San Francisco, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department allows residents to anonymously relinquish firearms in return for $100 gift cards for Ralphs supermarkets, Target department stores or Best Buy electronics stores.

Turning in assault rifles yields double that amount.

In years past, Target and Best Buy were the cards of choice, with residents wanting presents for the holidays.

This year, most asked for the supermarket cards, said sheriff's Sgt. Byron Woods.

"People just don't have the money to buy the food these days," he said.

Deputies expected to collect about 1,000 weapons this year. Authorities said 590 guns and two hand grenades were handed in during the last weekend in November, more than the total collected in any year and eclipsing last year's 387 guns.

Woods said most of the residents who turned in weapons were "family people."

"One guy said he had just got laid off from his job," Woods said. "He turned in five guns and said it would really help him to put food on the family's table."

Gun owners dropped their weapons off at a local grocery store parking lot. Deputies checked the weapons to see if they had been used in crimes, then destroyed them.

The annual drive started in 2005 after a spike in killings, though the murder rate had since dropped.

One man brought in a Soviet-era semiautomatic carbine. "If that got into the wrong hands of gangbangers, they could kill several people within minutes," Woods said. "Our biggest fear is a house getting burglarized and these guns getting taken."

The drive also has yielded antique weapons.

Gift cards for the guns exchange were paid mostly by Los Angeles County, but the three companies involved and the city of Compton, which contracts the county for police protection, also donated funds.

 

[Jamie]

How about they start giving out gift cards for ordinary law abiding citizens turning in criminals, then actually prosecuting those criminals? Nah, nevermind, that would make too much sense.

 

[terraformer]

"One guy said he had just got laid off from his job," Woods said. "He turned in five guns and said it would really help him to put food on the family's table."

Had he gone to an FFL, he would have made a lot more. TSTL....

 

[Jose]

Those who beat their guns into plowshares will plow for those who do not.

I will not plow for anyone.

 

[jdubois]

The drive also has yielded antique weapons.

That's the saddest part. Valuable old guns that had virtually no chance of hitting the street are probably headed for destruction now.

 

[PaulD]

I would be happy to give out a $100 Circuit City gift card for pretty much any firearm. PM me for further details.

 

[drumenigma]

That's the saddest part. Valuable old guns that had virtually no chance of hitting the street are probably headed for destruction now.

Goodbye valuable pieces of history.

 

[btnh6668]

With the economy going down i would think now is the best time to own a gun. When things get tough, crime higher crime rates usually follow. If your so broke that you must turn in your gun for food that's great... but that food isn't going to protect your family or belongings.

 

[Yelena]

How come they turn in guns for just $100? If they want to get rid of guns, why wouldn't they sell them for a higher price?

One man brought in a Soviet-era semiautomatic carbine. "If that got into the wrong hands of gangbangers, they could kill several people within minutes," Woods said. "Our biggest fear is a house getting burglarized and these guns getting taken.

That's probably an SKS. Are those stupid jerks really going to destroy it?

 

[Erebus]

That's probably an SKS. Are those stupid jerks really going to destroy it?

The ones they don't take home, yes, yes they will.

 

[MACGYVR]

Probably one of the dumbest quotes ever:

One man brought in a Soviet-era semiautomatic carbine. "If that got into the wrong hands of gangbangers, they could kill several people within minutes," Woods said. "Our biggest fear is a house getting burglarized and these guns getting taken.

So the cops are admitting that houses are being burglarized and they can do nothing to prevent it.

The gun sitting in the house is not the problem here. It's the cops not doing their job that is.

Taking these guns in just because "a house getting burglarized" is like arresting someone just because you might comit murder. They are now fortune tellers. Cops can't react to the crime that does happen, how the hell are they predicting the future?

This is when you go to the gun shop and buy all the broken guns on the rack that are for projects. get 20 of them for $20 each. Then walk up and trade them in for your $2000 worth of gift cards.

Screw the system over with it's own deal.

 

[Erebus]

So the cops are admitting that houses are being burglarized and they can do nothing to prevent it.

The gun sitting in the house is not the problem here. It's the cops not doing their job that is.

I'm not sure what you think they should be doing to prevent houses from being burglarized. They can't be everywhere at all times. If you want to complain that they aren't catching burglars after the fact I can maybe see a reason to gripe, but they aren't psychics.

 

[Yelena]

This is when you go to the gun shop and buy all the broken guns on the rack that are for projects. get 20 of them for $20 each. Then walk up and trade them in for your $2000 worth of gift cards.

Screw the system over with it's own deal.

Maybe someone already figured it out!

 

[jdubois]

I'm not sure what you think they should be doing to prevent houses from being burglarized.

How about some kind of proactive community service, like providing firearm information and training to the residents of their town?

 

[Roastie]

How about some kind of proactive community service, like providing firearm information and training to the residents of their town?

Yes, I am sure this democratic state will pay for gun training to civilians. Also, I am glad that they have increased our funds to protect homes.

People have this amazing ability to complain about things, then cut funding for the things needed to help them. Shifts getting dropped, numerous positions not filled, cars that are falling apart and all aspects of crime on the rise. You'd think police/fire/EMS would be a top priority but it's dropped to one of the last things taxpayers want to pay for.

As much as I enjoy protecting your property I too have a family that needs to be fed and clothed and I need to be payed to do so. Let's not even get into the fact that the governor has made huge steps in taking detail pay away, the only actual way to offset the low pay for town police.

 

[RUT]

>>Goodbye valuable pieces of history.<<

Somehow, I don't think this will apply to most of the guns turned in in a place like Compton.

 

[pbearperry]

Hey, how bout a nice samdwich for that Colt SIngle Action Army? Works for me.