Dorryn
Member
And this happened in my own backyard, practically! I had no idea, or I would have, I dont know, protested or something. It makes me weep when I read what they paid for functioning weapons... $42,000/800 = $52.50.
http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/89950.html
http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/89950.html
Getting guns off the street
800 firearms recovered as residents take advantage of buyback program
By Lauren Mariacher NEWS STAFF REPORTER
Updated: 06/03/07 6:35 AM
When Wayne Brown of Buffalo walked into the True Bethel Baptist Church lobby to turn in a gun about 11 a.m. Saturday, he figured the elderly women standing in line were waiting for church services.
He soon realized they had hundreds of dollars worth of armed weaponry in their hands. Brown was impressed.
By the end of the day, so were city officials who organized the “No Questions Asked” Gun Buyback Program, which recovered more than 800 guns and paid out $42,490 in the form of cash cards to 422 residents — many of them surrendering more than one firearm.
And while Buffalo Niagara residents were described by Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown as the big winners because fewer illegal guns are now in the hands of criminals, at least one individual also won big.
The unidentified man surrendered nine guns and was paid $960, making him the biggest buyback participant.
“I can tell you that tonight residents can sleep safer,” the mayor said. “We had a private goal of 250 guns and that would have been a success, but 800 guns is a tremendous success.”
Defending the program, Police Commissioner H. McCarthy Gipson acknowledged no criminals were arrested, but that they now have less firepower.
He estimated that of the 800- plus guns, about 100 were inoperable, while most of the rest were high-quality weapons, including 9 mm handguns, sawed-off shotguns, AK-47s, SKS rifles and others that are the frequent choice of street criminals.
Critics have said the city’s buyback programs have resulted in obtaining old and rusted weapons unlikely to be used in crimes.
“. . . Tell me there is not a benefit to getting this large cadre of weapons off the streets,” said Gipson, pointing to boxes and boxes of handguns beside a wall where hundreds of long guns were propped in the garage at Buffalo Police Headquarters.
Brown said some of the weapons were returned loaded.
One grandmother, Brown said, showed up with a loaded gun that had belonged to her late husband.
“She said her grandchildren play at the house and she didn’t know what to do with it. That was a tragedy waiting to happen. She didn’t know what to do,” said Brown, adding that the woman expressed her thanks to the city.
Another grandmother, he said, showed up with a gun she found in her grandson’s bedroom.
“She found a very lethal weapon in the grandson’s room and wanted to get rid of it,” Brown said.
Though there were people of all ages surrendering guns, it was the older crowd, women in particular, that gained notice.
The mayor speculated they were acting “on behalf of loved ones who didn’t want to show up in person.”
Folks standing in line to turn in guns were willing to speak about their decisions to participate, but wanted to remain anonymous.
“This is a piece from my father. I just didn’t want it to be stolen and turned into an illegal weapon,” said one older woman, who declined to identify herself.
A man who said he stood in line at one of the seven buyback locations for more than an hour later called The Buffalo News and questioned the wisdom of having residents stand for long periods in Saturday’s hot sun holding dangerous weapons.
“The scariest thing there was that everyone had ammunition,” the man said, explaining he had gone to St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in South Buffalo, one of the three busiest buyback sites.
The other two were True Bethel on East Ferry Street and the Church of the Good Shepherd on the first block of Jewett Parkway.
When the city held its first gun buyback in 1993, it lasted six days and more than 2,000 guns were purchased. The mayor said this time it was decided to heavily promote a one-day event.
“We didn’t want to overtax police personnel,” Brown said.
Police officers who work the streets and know firsthand what types of weapons criminals like to use also commended Saturday’s effort.
“This ranks real good compared to other buybacks. There’s a lot of good weapons, high quality, taken off the street,” said Officer Martin Forero.
City officials said the guns will be turned over to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms later this week for ballistics tests and computer checks on serial numbers to determine how many were used in crimes and stolen.
The mayor also pointed out Saturday that Buffalo’s homicide and violent crime rates are down from this time last year.
“Homicides are down 33 percent, violent crime is down 26 percent and the homicide solvability rate is at 88 percent,” Brown said.
Funds for Saturday’s buyback were provided, in part, with $30,000 in assets forfeited through seizures from drug probes and other crimes. Erie County Medical Center also has donated $10,000, and an additional donation was anonymously made, Brown said.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. agreed to provide cash cards without charging the city a customary fee.
