Reuters
LAPD offers gift cards to take guns off streets
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.
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LOL…
ddrintn on December 27, 2012 at 3:25 PM
Hopefully only bad ones and dummies took them up on it.
Schadenfreude on December 27, 2012 at 3:26 PM
Time to round up all my used Hi-Points, Lorcins, Ravens, and Jennings, and get a $100 gift card to Cabela’s for each Saturday Night Special I trade in to the LAPD!
Is the Hi-Point to Kimber exchange rate still 12 to 1?
I can dream, can’t I?
JimLennon on December 27, 2012 at 3:27 PM
I would assume that possessing an automatic weapon is already illegal in CA. And here are the cops offering gift cards for turning one in. Shows you how effective gun-control is.
ddrintn on December 27, 2012 at 3:30 PM
Automatics? You mean outlawed machine guns that can’t exist because they were outlawed?
HotAirian on December 27, 2012 at 3:32 PM
I’ll be buying any automatic weapon for $500. That’s a $300 profit…enough for an 8 ball of meth!
trs on December 27, 2012 at 3:33 PM
Tell the LAPD that you’ll turn in the crooked gunsmith who turns guns from semi-automatic to full-automatic in exchange for a $2000 gift card.
Then give them the name of the gun-carrying bodyguard of your favorite gun-grabbing politician.
JimLennon on December 27, 2012 at 3:36 PM
I’ll pay $600. Seriously, is it too much to ask for these idiot reporters to know something about the subject they’re covering?
RadClown on December 27, 2012 at 3:36 PM
I support actions like this. A radio station down here in Orlando does something similar called “Kicks for Guns” where they give you brand new shoes for guns, with no questions asked. Every year they get dozens if not hundreds of illegal guns turned in. I like that fact that this is purely voluntary, and provides incentives to citizens to do the right thing and presumably make “the streets” safer.
JSR08 on December 27, 2012 at 3:41 PM
If the cops had any brains they’d be cross checking the serial numbers with weapons that were reported stolen. They might even nab a bad guy or a fifty.
antipc on December 27, 2012 at 3:44 PM
LOL, right. Bring in a clunker of a gun, get a new pair of shoes, use new pair of shoes to get better gun.
ddrintn on December 27, 2012 at 3:45 PM
And I’m sure all the owners of legally acquired and properly registered guns couldn’t wait to go trade them in for, uh, nothing.
stukinIL4now on December 27, 2012 at 3:47 PM
Well, these people don’t know an automatic from a semi-automatic from an air gun.
ddrintn on December 27, 2012 at 3:47 PM
I wonder how many of these anonymous people brought in a murder weapon? In so doing removing a piece of evidence that would have led to the conviction of a murderer.
Kaptain Amerika on December 27, 2012 at 3:47 PM
P.S. you can buy a CZ52 for about $70 so you could make some jack buying them and reselling them to the LAPD.
Kaptain Amerika on December 27, 2012 at 3:48 PM
By the way, how do they know people aren’t stealing old crappy guns just to get a new pair of shoes?
ddrintn on December 27, 2012 at 3:51 PM
If it’s anything like these buybacks have been in the past, many of the really good guns make into the hands of police gun collectors or get sold back to private collectors.
L.A. got 8,000 guns, wow, only 250 million to go.
Bishop on December 27, 2012 at 4:01 PM
Obviously most of these guns are illegal. Which is a good thing.
The Notorious G.O.P on December 27, 2012 at 4:28 PM
I wish my city would do this. I have a few non workingrifles I bought for parts and display. Total cost was about 50 bucks. At 100 bucks a pop I would get 500 bucks back. Not a bad profit for scrap metal.
Dr. Frank Enstine on December 27, 2012 at 4:31 PM
Gift cards? Check this out. ‘Mexico City offers cash, toys for guns- Mexico City is sponsoring a program offering cash, toys and computer equipment in exchange for guns in a rough neighbourhood where a 10 year old boy was killed by a stray bullet inside a movie theater. The borough of Iztapalapa president Jesus Valencia tweeted on Monday that residents had turned in 27 rifles and 65 pistols’.
tommy71 on December 27, 2012 at 4:54 PM
Careful in yer business ‘dealings’…
Schadenfreude on December 27, 2012 at 5:09 PM
Police officers handed out $200 grocery store gift cards to people who turned in an automatic weapon,
LOL…
ddrintn on December 27, 2012 at 3:25 PM
~~~~~~~~~
My sentiments exactly!
ellifint on December 27, 2012 at 5:26 PM
Ever wonder why there are never mass shootings in big urban schools? That is because even the students are packing…. just sayin…
Good luck with this LA… for every gun takin 2 more come back in.
watertown on December 27, 2012 at 5:35 PM