Gun buyback program

Last updated

A gun buyback program is one instituted to purchase privately owned firearms. The goal of such programs is to reduce the circulation of both legally and illegally owned firearms. A buyback program would provide a process whereby civilians can dispose of illicitly owned firearms without financial loss or risk of prosecution. In most cases, the agents purchasing the guns are local police.[ citation needed ] A gun buyback program can either be voluntary, or it can be mandatory with penalties for failure to sell.

Contents

Purpose and mechanism

Legislation-led

In many cases, buyback programs amount to compensation schemes following a change in law which prohibits the private ownership of certain classes of firearm. Examples include the compensation scheme following the United Kingdom Offensive Weapons Act 2019, [1] and the 1996-97 National Firearms Buyback Program in Australia.

The effectiveness of such schemes is often dependent whether the affected firearms were subject to registration, which allows authorities to enforce their surrender.

Incentivised amnesty

In other cases, buyback programmes may take the form of an incentivised amnesty scheme intended to take legally and/or illegally held firearms out of circulation more generally. Examples include the 2004 Brazilian buyback. [2] Such schemes may be run concurrent with a legislation-led programme.

Private buyback

In some countries - particularly the United States - buybacks may be privately funded - typically for the purpose of taking firearms out of circulation. Examples include an anonymous donor funding buyback events in California following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. [3]

Argentina

In July 2007, Argentina initiated a national gun buyback program that ran until December 2008. Participation in the program was voluntary and anonymous. Individuals received between 100 and 450 pesos (or US$30 to US$145) per firearm depending on its type. All types of firearms were accepted including legal as well as illegal weapons. The 2007–2008 buyback collected a total of 104,782 firearms or around 7% of the country's estimated total number of firearms as well as 747,000 units of ammunition.[ citation needed ]

Australia

There have been 28 state and territory-based amnesties since the Port Arthur massacre in April 1996. The "National Firearms Buyback Program", which ran from October 1996 through September 1997, was held for 12 months and retrieved 650,000 guns. The 2003 handgun buyback ran for 6 months and retrieved 68,727 guns. Both involved compensation paid to owners of firearms made illegal by gun law changes and surrendered to the government. Bought back firearms were destroyed. [4]

The Government increased the Medicare levy from 1.5% to 1.7% of income for one year to finance the 1996 buyback program. The program was budgeted to cost $500 million. The buyback cost $304 million in compensation and $63 million in administration. [5]

Brazil

In two gun buyback programs between 2003 and 2009, the Brazilian government collected and destroyed over 1.1 million guns. [2] In 2004, the Brazilian government implemented a six-month national gun buyback program that met its stated objective of collecting 80,000 guns in less than three months. The government budgeted $3 million for the program, in which participants were given up to $100 per gun that they handed in. [6]

Part of the 2004 buyback included strengthening gun regulations such as: making it illegal to own unregistered firearms or to carry a gun outside of one's home; raising the minimum age to own a gun to 25; and imposing new penalties on those that violate these laws. One study suggests that the buyback "contributed to the observed reduction in firearm related mortality." [7]

Canada

In May 2022, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a proposed ban of handguns and a buyback program, with compensation varying from around $1,300 to more than $6,000. On October 21, 2022, a national freeze of handgun sales went into effect. [8]

New Zealand

New Zealand introduced the Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Bill [9] in March 2019 as an amendment to existing legislation with the aim of strengthening gun control. This bill was introduced following the Christchurch mosque shootings along with a government-funded gun buyback program. [10] New Zealand Police reported that around 47,000 firearms were collected. [11]

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has undertaken three significant buyback schemes, all of which were legislation-led.

UK Police forces hold knife and weapon amnesties from time to time, but no compensation is offered for surrendered items. [14] Although individuals have amnesty for possession of the articles, they may be prosecuted if a surrendered firearm is connected to criminal activity - some firearms are passed to NABIS to be forensically examined and checked against open investigations. [15] Legally-held firearms are accepted by Police for destruction at any time.

United States

Philadelphia tried gun buybacks in 1968, 1972 and 1974, retrieving 544 guns. Baltimore staged a 3 month buyback in 1974 offering $50 for each gun, resulting in the retrieval of 13,400 firearms, including about 8,400 handguns. [16] Similar programs followed in other cities, including some cities that repeated their programs.[ citation needed ] In 1994 researchers analyzed a 1992 buyback in Seattle, Washington where 1,172 firearms were relinquished. The study found "Comparing firearm-related events per month before and after the program, crimes and deaths increased, and injuries decreased, but the changes were not statistically significant." [17] The study also concluded "effect on decreasing violent crime and reducing firearm mortality is unknown." [17] In the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primary, candidates Cory Booker, Bernie Sanders, and Beto O'Rourke indicated support for gun buyback programs. [18]

Arizona

Gun buybacks have been held in Tucson (one in 2013) and Phoenix (three in 2013).

In 2013, House Bill 2455 was signed into law by Governor Jan Brewer. H.B. 2455 and Arizona Revised Statute 12-945 were enacted after lobbying by the National Rifle Association of America and other organizations and require that firearms seized by, surrendered to or acquired by law enforcement or other government agencies may not be destroyed. Firearms acquired through programs such as gun buybacks or seized in the course of a criminal investigation that are legal for private citizens to possess must be disposed of by sale to a federal firearms licensed dealer. These statutes have raised controversy, with opponents charging that the statutes will turn gun buybacks into recycling programs. Proponents of the measures point out that firearms purchased through private buyback programs may be destroyed. [19]

California

On December 15, 2012, the day after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, an anonymous donor funded gun buyback events in Oakland and San Francisco. Hundreds of area residents received $200 cash for each firearm sold, "no questions asked." The guns were to be destroyed. [3] A mile-long line of cars lined up into the East Oakland church parking lot that served as that community's exchange location, prompting the private donor to double his contribution. [3] [20]

Over 600 guns were bought between the two locations. One week later, it was learned that the event was largely funded by a medical marijuana dispensary, whose executive director said, "It's part of the philosophy we practice called capitalism with a conscience." [21]

Started in 2009, an ongoing anonymous buyback program in Los Angeles offers retail gift cards in exchange for guns. [22]

Maryland

For two months in 1974, the Baltimore Police Department ran what is believed to have been the first gun buyback program in the U.S. Police commissioner Donald Pomerleau, not known as an advocate for strict gun control,[ citation needed ] reportedly came up with the idea while at a funeral for an officer who was shot in the line of duty. Operation PASS (People Against Senseless Shootings) paid a $50 "bounty" for surrendered guns and $100 for tips leading to the confiscation of illegal guns. Some bounty seekers attempted to game the system by buying cheap, new guns that retailed for $21.95 and then trying to turn them in. In all, the police collected 13,500 firearms - mostly handguns - at a cost of over $660,000. However, the city's already high gun homicide and assault rates actually increased during the program, for which police officials offered no explanation. [23]

Massachusetts

From July 12–14, 2006, the Boston Police Department collected 1,000 firearms. Residents received a $200 Target gift card for each gun donated. [24]

Michigan

At an August 2012 buyback, the Detroit Police Department paid $16,820 for 365 guns, including six assault weapons and a few sawed-off shotguns. The guns were collected at a church where participants could receive $50 to $100 for unloaded, operational weapons. Gun-carrying protesters offered to purchase the firearms from those in line for more money than the police were offering. [25]

New Jersey

A buyback in Camden, New Jersey, in December 2012 collected 1,137 firearms. [26] In April 2013, Newark Police Department collected more than 200 firearms during a buyback funded by Jewelry for a Cause. [27] This was the first buyback in the city's history to be completely funded through private sources. [28] Such programs allow residents to turn in guns for cash. [29] In January 2014, Newark police director Samuel DeMaio said he was reviewing the implementation of an ongoing program instead of once or twice a year. Gun buybacks in several locations in Essex County, New Jersey, including Newark, collected about 1,700 guns in February 2013. [30]

Washington

The city of Seattle has experimented with gun buyback programs since the early 1990s. [17] Seattle's 1992 gun buyback was initiated in response to a string of shootings in a local neighborhood. The buyback program was watched with great interest given the local demographic and the generally positive public support for the buyback from residents of Seattle and the surrounding area. A public health survey titled "Money for Guns" was conducted and while it concluded that no statistically significant result was produced on Seattle's gun crime or gun death ratio, the report maintained that a larger buyback program would be sure to yield positive results. [17] While Seattle's 2013 gun buyback program could be considered a success, collecting more than 700 guns, handing out almost $70,000 in gift cards and even netting a Stinger missile launcher tube, [31] the program also had a widely unanticipated effect from the local gun buying community. Hundreds of gun buyers showed up to the event seeking to offer cash for valuable antiques or functioning second hand firearms. The lack of any need for background check in transactions involving private firearms sales turned the city sponsored event into an open air gun bazaar. [32] Since then other cities have experienced similar situations, including private sales and/or local gun owners taking advantage of lucrative gift card offers to unload rusted or non-functioning firearms onto the police. [33]

Related Research Articles

Gun laws and policies, collectively referred to as firearms regulation or gun control, regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, and use of small arms by civilians. Laws of some countries may afford civilians a right to keep and bear arms, and have more liberal gun laws than neighboring jurisdictions. Countries that regulate access to firearms will typically restrict access to certain categories of firearms and then restrict the categories of persons who may be granted a license for access to such firearms. There may be separate licenses for hunting, sport shooting, self-defense, collecting, and concealed carry, with different sets of requirements, permissions, and responsibilities.

Firearms in Canada are federally regulated through the Firearms Act and related provisions of the Criminal Code. Regulation is largely about licensing and registration of firearms, including air guns with a muzzle velocity of more than 500 ft/s or 150 m/s and muzzle energy greater than 4.2 ft⋅lb or 5.7 J.

In the United Kingdom, access by the general public to firearms is subject to some of the strictest control measures in the world. Subject to licensing, members of the public may own rifles and shotguns. However, most handguns have been banned in Great Britain since the Dunblane school massacre in 1996. Handguns are permitted in Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man which have their own legislation. Scotland imposes an additional licensing regime on airguns, which is not mirrored in England and Wales.

Gun laws in Australia are predominantly within the jurisdiction of Australian states and territories, with the importation of guns regulated by the federal government. In the last two decades of the 20th century, following several high-profile killing sprees, the federal government coordinated more restrictive firearms legislation with all state governments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gun show loophole</span> US political term for sale of firearms by private sellers

Gun show loophole is a political term in the United States referring to the sale of firearms by private sellers, including those done at gun shows, that do not require the seller to conduct a federal background check of the buyer. This is also called the private sale exemption. Under U.S. federal law, any person may sell a firearm to a federally unlicensed resident of the state where they reside, as long as they do not know or have reasonable cause to believe that the person is prohibited from receiving or possessing firearms.

In South Africa, the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000 regulates the possession of firearms by civilians. Possession of a firearm is conditional on a competency test and several other factors, including background checking of the applicant, inspection of an owner's premises, and licensing of the weapon by the police introduced in July 2004. In 2010, the process was undergoing review, as the police were not able to timely process either competency certification, new licences or renewal of existing licences. Minimum waiting period used to exceed two years from date of application. The Central Firearms Registry implemented a turnaround strategy that has significantly improved the processing period of new licences. The maximum time allowed to process a licence application is now 90 days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Concealed carry</span> Practice of carrying a handgun or other weapon in public in a concealed or hidden manner

Concealed carry, or carrying a concealed weapon (CCW), is the practice of carrying a weapon, either in proximity to or on one's person or in public places in a manner that hides or conceals the weapon's presence from surrounding observers. In the United States, the opposite of concealed carry is called open carry.

In the United States, the right to keep and bear arms is modulated by a variety of state and federal statutes. These laws generally regulate the manufacture, trade, possession, transfer, record keeping, transport, and destruction of firearms, ammunition, and firearms accessories. They are enforced by state, local and the federal agencies which include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

The gun laws of New Zealand are contained in the Arms Act 1983 statute, which includes multiple amendments including those that were passed subsequent to the 1990 Aramoana massacre and the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings.

In Germany, access to guns is controlled by the German Weapons Act, which was first enacted in 1972, and superseded by the law of 2003. This federal statute regulates the handling of firearms and ammunition as well as acquisition, storage, commerce and maintenance of firearms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gun laws in California</span> Californias gun law

Gun laws in California regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition in the state of California in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gun laws in New York</span>

Gun laws in New York regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition in the U.S. state of New York, outside of New York City which has separate licensing regulations. These regulations are very strict in comparison to the rest of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gun laws in Oklahoma</span> Oklahomas gun law

Gun laws in Oklahoma regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition in the state of Oklahoma in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gun laws in Illinois</span>

Gun laws in Illinois regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition in the state of Illinois in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gun laws in Maryland</span> Marylands gun law

Gun laws in Maryland regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition in the U.S. state of Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gun laws in Virginia</span> Virginias gun law

Gun laws in Virginia regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caliber Collection</span> American jewelry company

Caliber Collection is an online company that was founded by Jessica Pollack Mindich, an American jewelry designer, in December 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessica Mindich</span> American lawyer and businesswoman

Jessica Mindich is a former lawyer and the founder and CEO of the Caliber Collection, which takes guns off streets and transforms them with bullet casings into jewelry and nonprofit donations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Act 2019</span> New Zealand gun control law

The Arms Amendment Act 2019 is an act of the New Zealand Parliament that amends the Arms Act 1983 to ban semi-automatic firearms, large capacity magazines, and parts that can be used to assemble prohibited firearms. It was introduced by Labour Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament Stuart Nash in response to the Christchurch mosque shootings. The Bill passed its third and final reading on 10 April 2019, receiving royal assent the following day. The Arms Amendment Bill was supported by all parties represented in Parliament except the opposition ACT Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arms Legislation Act 2020</span> Arms Legislation Act 2020

The Arms Legislation Act 2020 is an act by the New Zealand Parliament that established a new regulatory regime to regulate the use and storage of firearms in New Zealand including creating a gun registry. The act passed its first reading on 24 September 2019 with the support of the Labour–led coalition government and its coalition partners New Zealand First and the Greens but was opposed by the opposition National and ACT parties. The act passed its second reading on 19 February 2020 and its third reading on 18 June 2020 and receiving royal assent on 24 June 2020.

References

  1. 1 2 "Offensive Weapons Act surrender and compensation scheme". Gov.uk. Home Office. 10 December 2020. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Brazil: Gun Buyback Campaign Begins". New York Times. Associated Press. May 6, 2011. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 Berton, Justin (December 15, 2012). "S.F., Oakland gun buyback nets hundreds". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Communications. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
  4. ↑ Brew, Nigel (June 27, 2017). "National Firearms Amnesty". Australian Parliamentary Library. Archived from the original on March 13, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  5. ↑ "The Gun Buy Back Program" (PDF). www.anao.gov.au/ (performance audit report). Commonwealth of Australia. 1997.
  6. ↑ "Brazil gun buyback plan hits mark". BBC News. September 11, 2004. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  7. ↑ David Lenis; Lucas Ronconi; Ernesto Schargrodsky (September 27, 2010). "The Effect of the Argentine Gun Buy-Back Program on Crime and Violence" (PDF) (unpublished paper). Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  8. ↑ Heyward, Giulia (2022-10-21). "Trudeau orders an immediate freeze on the sale of handguns in Canada". NPR. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
  9. ↑ "Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Bill".
  10. ↑ "New Zealand police expect tens of thousands of firearms in guns buy-back scheme". Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has estimated that the gun buy-backs would cost the government between NZ$100-200 million but other government ministers have warned that the costs could be higher depending on how many guns are handed to the police. Reuters. Reuters World News. 11 April 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  11. ↑ Stoakes, Emanuel. "After mosque shootings, New Zealand's weapons buyback runs into an obstacle: gun owners". The Washington Post.
  12. ↑ "Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988". legislation.gov.uk. 1988-11-15. Archived from the original on 18 May 2012. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  13. ↑ "Offensive Weapons Act 2019". legislation.gov.uk. The National Archives. Archived from the original on 20 May 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  14. ↑ "Firearms Surrender 2022". National Ballistics Intelligence Service. Archived from the original on 20 May 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  15. ↑ Justin Davenport (25 November 2014). "Revealed: Met's haul of 347 guns during two week 'amnesty' in London". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  16. ↑ Star, The Kansas City (29 December 1992). "Plagued cities buy back guns, but effect is doubted". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Callahan, Charles M.; Rivara, Frederick P.; Koepsell, Thomas D. (1994). "Money for Guns: Evaluation of the Seattle Gun Buy-Back Program". Public Health Reports. 109 (4): 472–477. PMC   1403522 . PMID   8041845. ProQuest   230145368.
  18. ↑ Stevens, Matt (August 6, 2019). "Where the 2020 Democrats Stand on Gun Control". The New York Times. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  19. ↑ Mello, Michael (May 4, 2013). "Arizona law bans destroying guns purchased in buyback programs". Los Angeles Times.
  20. ↑ Bender, Kristen (17 December 2012). "Nearly 600 firearms collected during gun buybacks in Oakland and San Francisco". The tally from Saturday’s gun buyback in Oakland and San Francisco: 349 handguns, 149 rifles, 92 shotguns and another six guns that owners handed over without even waiting for their $200 payment. Mercury News. Bay Area News Group. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  21. ↑ Matier, Phillip; Ross, Andrew (December 22, 2012). "Gun buyback program funded by pot club". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Communications. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
  22. ↑ "The City of Los Angeles' anonymous Gun Buyback". Los Angeles Mayor's Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  23. ↑ Parry, Robert (December 8, 1974). "Guns of Baltimore: Why Did Bounty Stop?". The Blade. Toledo, Ohio: Toledo Blade Company. Associated Press. Retrieved 2014-06-12.
  24. ↑ "'Aim For Peace' Program Collected 1,000 Firearms!" (Press release). City of Boston. July 20, 2006. Archived from the original on 2020-07-08. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
  25. ↑ "Protest Disrupts Detroit Gun Buyback Effort". CBS Local Media. August 30, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
  26. ↑ "Camden's record gun buyback". Philadelphia Inquirer. Interstate General Media. December 19, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
  27. ↑ Queally, James (April 30, 2013). "Newark recovers more than 200 guns during buyback event". Star-Ledger. New Jersey On-Line.
  28. ↑ Milo, Paul (May 7, 2013). "Weekend Gun Buyback Nets More than 200 Weapons: Event funded entirely by 'Jewelry for a Cause'". Patch. Newark, New Jersey: Planck.
  29. ↑ "Booker's gun-control initiative turns bullets into bracelets". Star-Ledger. New Jersey On-Line. January 18, 2013.
  30. ↑ "Newark police force to add 100 officers this year". Newark, New Jersey: mycentraljersey.com. January 7, 2014. Archived from the original on February 4, 2014.
  31. ↑ "SPD Blotter". 28 January 2013.
  32. ↑ "Fox News". Fox News . 20 March 2015.
  33. ↑ "The Trace". 18 July 2015.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.