Gift cards for guns: What the Chicago Police Department gets from firearm turn-ins

[Dial H For Hero]

https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-guns-gun-trade-in-chicacgo-buy-back-police-department/11575550/

I-Team analysis found that an increasing percentage of fakes are being turned in at these events. Sixteen percent of the gift cards in 2020 were for replicas. That jumped to 20% in 2021.

"Criminals are the least likely folks who are going to be turning the guns in," said James Sobol, Associate Professor, SUNY Buffalo State

Records obtained through FOIA show some of the weapons turned in are very old. They include a "flintlock pocket pistol" that was "popular in BRITAIN during the 18th century," an "early 1900s" Belgian revolver, and several decades-old shotguns and rifles marked as having "heavy rust." They also turned up a toy gun, made to look like a civil war-era revolver.

Criminal justice professor James Sobol has studied gun turn-in programs across the country. He said his research shows the programs don't have a significant impact on reducing crime.

(Excerpt)

[mopinko]

1. what about gun suicides?

or accidents? i dont think anyone imagined this could hoover up criminals guns, but getting guns that are just laying around that someone might pick up and use to end their life, or use accidentally is still a worthwhile endeavor.

[AndyS]

2. Considering that about 1,000 robberies are committed every year

along with close to 100 police shootings in response to toy guns it is hard to diminish the importance of removing them from innocent hands. Remember Tamir Rice?

They aren't harmless and they are an alternate income stream for gun makers who license the appearance of their guns to toy makers.

[mopinko]

3. yeah, the diminution of 'replica guns'

makes it sound like the program is getting duped, when in fact they are handing out 10% of what they give for a working gun. and yes, tamir is the 1st thing i thought of.

[yagotme]

4. A "zip-gun" can be made for $10 or so,

and turned in, no questions asked. Profit, anyone???