Seattle's gun buyback program: Give a gun, get an Amazon gift card
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SEATTLE (AP) - Hoping to do something - anything - in response to mass shootings in Seattle and elsewhere, Seattle police and political leaders on Tuesday announced a new gun buyback program in which people can anonymously turn in their weapons for a shopping gift card worth up to $200.
The effectiveness of such programs has been debated, but they very well might save lives, supporters said, and at worst can't do any harm.
"By taking these measures today, we are certainly preventing senseless tragedies," King County Executive Dow Constantine told a news conference at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Seattle. "How many? That will never be known."
The program was announced on the two-year anniversary of the Tucson, Ariz., shooting that killed six people and left then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords critically injured. It also came a month after a gunman in Newtown, Conn., opened fire in an elementary school, killing 20 children and six adults.
Amazon.com, which has been expanding its headquarters in Seattle, kicked in $30,000 in Amazon gift cards - $100 for each handgun, rifle or shotgun turned in, and $200 for each gun classified as an assault weapon under state law. In an emailed statement, the company said only that it thanked Seattle Mike McGinn for the invitation to participate and that it was happy to do so.
The Seattle Police Foundation donated $25,000, Seattle-based search engine optimization software company SEOmoz gave $10,000 and PEMCO insurance committed $5,000. That money will be used for gift cards from other retail or grocery stores.
The first buyback is scheduled for Jan. 26 under Interstate 5 between Cherry and James streets downtown. Additional dates are expected to be announced later. Unless they have historical value, the guns will be melted down and recycled.
Participants need not worry about being arrested, officials said. Police won't take photos or record license plates. They will run serial numbers to see if the weapons have been stolen; if so, ballistics tests will be performed and officers will try to return the weapons to their legal owners. Otherwise, no ballistics tests will be conducted, said Seattle Police Deputy Chief Nick Metz.
"This isn't a trick, and this isn't a sting. Whether you're turning an anti-tank missile launcher you 'found' in your basement, or your Gammie's old .45, the buyback is anonymous with no questions asked," the police department said in a statement.
Seattle had 27 homicides last year, relatively low for a city its size - but 23 of them were in the first five months, including the fatal shooting of four people at Cafe Racer and another in a carjacking by Ian Stawicki on May 30.
Seattle last tried a gun buyback in 1992, when 1,172 firearms were relinquished, said former Mayor Norm Rice, who is joining former mayors Greg Nickels, Charles Royer and Wes Uhlman as co-chairmen of the new Gun Safety Initiative.
A similar gun-buyback program in Los Angeles last month netted more than 2,000 weapons, including 901 handguns and two rocket launchers.
McGinn and Constantine said the buyback program isn't designed as a panacea but as one tool to reduce gun violence. If a single shooting never materializes because of it, the effort will have been worth it, they said.
But Dave Workman, senior editor at The Gun Mag, a publication of the Second Amendment Foundation, described such programs as political theater that doesn't make anyone safer.
He pointed to a 2004 study by the National Research Council. It questioned the effectiveness of such programs, saying the weapons typically turned in are those least likely to be used in criminal activities, guns are so readily available that the programs have little practical effect, and with tens of millions of handguns in circulation in the U.S., the odds any particular weapon will be used in a crime are minuscule.
"We've had a history of these gun buybacks around the country, and they really haven't done anything," Workman said.
Metz argued that getting unwanted guns out of the community is a laudable goal: It means they won't be involved in an accidental shooting or stolen and used in a crime.
The effectiveness of such programs has been debated, but they very well might save lives, supporters said, and at worst can't do any harm.
"By taking these measures today, we are certainly preventing senseless tragedies," King County Executive Dow Constantine told a news conference at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Seattle. "How many? That will never be known."
The program was announced on the two-year anniversary of the Tucson, Ariz., shooting that killed six people and left then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords critically injured. It also came a month after a gunman in Newtown, Conn., opened fire in an elementary school, killing 20 children and six adults.
Amazon.com, which has been expanding its headquarters in Seattle, kicked in $30,000 in Amazon gift cards - $100 for each handgun, rifle or shotgun turned in, and $200 for each gun classified as an assault weapon under state law. In an emailed statement, the company said only that it thanked Seattle Mike McGinn for the invitation to participate and that it was happy to do so.
The Seattle Police Foundation donated $25,000, Seattle-based search engine optimization software company SEOmoz gave $10,000 and PEMCO insurance committed $5,000. That money will be used for gift cards from other retail or grocery stores.
The first buyback is scheduled for Jan. 26 under Interstate 5 between Cherry and James streets downtown. Additional dates are expected to be announced later. Unless they have historical value, the guns will be melted down and recycled.
Participants need not worry about being arrested, officials said. Police won't take photos or record license plates. They will run serial numbers to see if the weapons have been stolen; if so, ballistics tests will be performed and officers will try to return the weapons to their legal owners. Otherwise, no ballistics tests will be conducted, said Seattle Police Deputy Chief Nick Metz.
"This isn't a trick, and this isn't a sting. Whether you're turning an anti-tank missile launcher you 'found' in your basement, or your Gammie's old .45, the buyback is anonymous with no questions asked," the police department said in a statement.
Seattle had 27 homicides last year, relatively low for a city its size - but 23 of them were in the first five months, including the fatal shooting of four people at Cafe Racer and another in a carjacking by Ian Stawicki on May 30.
Seattle last tried a gun buyback in 1992, when 1,172 firearms were relinquished, said former Mayor Norm Rice, who is joining former mayors Greg Nickels, Charles Royer and Wes Uhlman as co-chairmen of the new Gun Safety Initiative.
A similar gun-buyback program in Los Angeles last month netted more than 2,000 weapons, including 901 handguns and two rocket launchers.
McGinn and Constantine said the buyback program isn't designed as a panacea but as one tool to reduce gun violence. If a single shooting never materializes because of it, the effort will have been worth it, they said.
But Dave Workman, senior editor at The Gun Mag, a publication of the Second Amendment Foundation, described such programs as political theater that doesn't make anyone safer.
He pointed to a 2004 study by the National Research Council. It questioned the effectiveness of such programs, saying the weapons typically turned in are those least likely to be used in criminal activities, guns are so readily available that the programs have little practical effect, and with tens of millions of handguns in circulation in the U.S., the odds any particular weapon will be used in a crime are minuscule.
"We've had a history of these gun buybacks around the country, and they really haven't done anything," Workman said.
Metz argued that getting unwanted guns out of the community is a laudable goal: It means they won't be involved in an accidental shooting or stolen and used in a crime.
Great idea! Amazon Gift Cards are redeemable toward millions of items at fanup.com, have no fees, and never, ever expire. Amazon Gift Cards can be purchased in almost any amount, from $5 to $100. Your recipient can spend their gift card right away or deposit it into their Amazon account and wait for that sale of a lifetime. Any gift card balance left over will stay in their account for future use.(http://www.fanup.com/store/amazon-gift-cards)
Ah well, maybe whoever it was that stole our anti-firearms crusading police chief's gun will turn it in. B^)
ill buy too and pay far better than Seattle PD.  e mail me mk_lane@yahoo.com.  Bill of sale and cash. several of my friends plan to be there to buy.
I will be there with cash to buy them first
Just realized something. Â Washington doesn't have an assault weapons law. Â There is no gun that washington defines as an assault weapon. Â It's $100 per gun for everything.
I will pay you DOUBLE for your firearms. Private sales are 100% legal in WA state and I will provide you with a bill of sale if you want. Please call or text 4252217265.Â
I will also pay at least twice what the buyback will offer and I will pay cash. Â I am not a dealer, I am a private citizen not prohibited from buying a firearm (I can provide evidence that I have been fingerprinted and an FBI background check has passed me). Â If your gun was stolen or used in a crime or the anonymity of the buyback, get your gift certificate from the buyback and do not sell to me. Â I will photograph your driver's license and give you a copy of mine which will make a record of the sale. Â If you just want something for your legally owned gun, I can help you make a few extra bucks. Â I will also guarantee that once I own your gun it will be locked in a safe with a strong security system on the building where it's stored. Â The chances of it being stolen from me and used in a crime are vanishingly small. Â Serious sellers call or text three 1 zero 43327 three 3.
I will pay you DOUBLE for your firearms. Private sales are 100% legal in WA state and I will provide you with a bill of sale if you want. Text (425) 341-3172 for more info.
We know they are 100% legal but can you guarantee their "anonymity" during the sale OR DOUBLE with a bill of sale to someone who came to be in possession of a stolen firearm? U can't flip and resell a stolen weapon or even a rocket launcher for that matter lol. But hey, so nice of you to "rain" on a positive community program's parade, lol. *thumbs up*
I am looking for a good semi auto pistol. I will pay $200 for the right gun because I know what they are really worth.
As long as they don't destroy the pieces of history, and that's to include the M1 Garand. Put the good ones back on the market through licensed dealers.
 @SargeMcC sorry all that are not reported stolen are required to be destroyed. and M1s will be counted as assault weapons and use in the propaganda machine
I think this is a great idea. More guns for the government to give to drug cartels in Mexico.Â
Does anybody really believe such a program will save lives? Â
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1: Responsible gun owners do not give access to their guns
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2:Â irresponsible gun owners by definition do not care, and therefore any program provided will be pointless for them
3: Real criminals are not bringing their guns to a buy back program...
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4. Responsible gun owners are not bringing their guns to a buy back program Â
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5. The only guns being brought to a buy back program are garbage, in which nobody wants, even criminals. Â
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6. Anybody wanting to get rid of useless guns laying around the house are rarely waiting around for a buy back program. they sell them to gun stores or private parties, or have taken them on their own to the police for destruction. (Yes you could always do this) Â
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7. A buy backs program is nothing but a political ploy for politicians. (see what I did to protect you) Â
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Its not that a buy back program hurts anything. However the point being made is that it also doesn't help anything either.  Refer to some level of common sense before believing into feel good programs.
nobody is claiming this is gona "save lives" however I see it as an attempt to do something that might contribute to a decrease in guns on the streets & a hair less number of shooting deaths as a result of them being so available. sad when a 16yr old has a gun on his hip but needs to borrow someone's cellphone cause doesnt have 1.AND the point is more like this program will probably help something wayyy sooner than someone who just shrugs their shoulders at everything everyday. Guess we'll see.
@snow surfer I must agree. However I'd ad "stolen" to your list. With "no questions asked" nonsense, why not steal a couple of guns for a couple of quick amazon bucks.
 @Upgrayedd  @snow better yet.. someone can simply have someone report a gun as stolen, sell it to the government, they run the serial number.. and return it to the rightful owner. 100 or 200 bucks profit...sounds like a pain, but why not?
 @snow surfer And if this is anonymous, then this is a great program to dispose of a gun used in a crime. This entire idea of giving people $100 for their gun is and $200 for assault type is ridiculous. These guns cost a heck of a lot more than that.
yea well I'd rather get $200 for handing ovr an assault weapon, than get a felony later when I'm caught in possession of an illegal firearm.Â
I'm a CPL holder and avid collector I'll give anyone up to 2x the buy back price for your unwanted guns. Can provide bill of sale (even though not required by law) and pay in CASH. Put gas in your car, food on your plate or pay some bills instead of a useless gift card.
oh plz-a gift card "useless"? some people dig shopping online but no visa to do it & no, bill of sales are not req. by law BUT enough episodes of Judge Judy has never let me 4get the aftermath of being okeydoked by a selfish collector who hunts for marks that dont even know what a bill of sale means lol
How about an old Ivar Johnson hammerless 32 rimfire? It doesn't function. No way to fix it...
 @SargeMcC there going for 150-$400 online depending on cosmetic shape. the parts can be replaced
 @SargeMcC Are you sure there's no way to fix it? Parts are available through correct sources and I am very familiar with them.
I can't believe the amount of posts I'm reading from gun owners who are against this gun buy back. Sure, they might not get very many guns turned in, but what is it hurting? The funds they are using were donated, so it's not coming out of your taxes. There a possibility a few guns that were stolen will be recovered and returned to the rightful owners. It's also possible some child's life will be saved with a few less guns taking up space in a family's household that doesn't use them and doesn't want them. Why don't people try looking for a good side instead of always trying to be so disagreeable? I used to have some respect for responsible gun owners, but as I read these comments, I am quickly losing any respect I ever had for them.
@justmyopinion And who is paying for this when none of the governments can make ends meet? Pointless!!! A working habdgun is worth more to the criminals than $100. Back to the old oxymoron " government inteligence", you might as well join them.
@justmyopinion ... What do you mean my taxes aren't paying for it? Just who do you think is paying the police who run the program and man this operation? Sure, the payout money is donated....sort of. I'd say it was more likely spent on advertising and thus deductable. Again, back to taxes.
 @Upgrayedd You know the cops would just be up at Top Pot eating donuts if they weren't doing this, so it's money well spent in the long run.
This time, it's a voluntary buy back, next time, it will be mandatory. No, sir.
 @ddrum I think the constitution and the NRA have you pretty well protected from that, but you might want to talk to your doctor about that paranoia problem you seem to have.
@justmyopinion @ddrum In California they confiscated them and didn't pay for them when they decided a whole bunch of firearms were allegedly "assault weapons." The defining characteristic of an "assault weapon" seemed to be a firearm that was aesthetically challenged.
 @justmyopinion hey, y'know i'm with you man!
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i also support the TSA running their hands all over my nine year old, and checking papers at bus stations and stadiums, the INS stopping people anywhere within 300 miles of our borders and doing spot checks on ID (And arresting you, if you don't provide it) and other pieces of security theater, which are proven useless.Â
 @TNadal You just made the leap from a voluntary gun buy back to the TSA molesting your child... how does that happen in your mind? And again, now I know why people call you gun nuts...
@justmyopinion Haven't flown lately, have you? I think the point where a friend of mine was asked to do shake out her bra and move around while she did it in front of a line of people was pretty extreme. Apparently they suspected that her large breasts were really hand grenades or bombs.
The point TNadal is trying to make is that this is "security theater." It won't make anyone safer, but it looks good to many of the voters.
@MB TNadal's commnets about the TSA were totally off topic and unsubstantiated. My remarks were directed to him/her.  Aside from that,  I don't believe I called anyone a name, maybe you need to re-read my post. I did say "now I know why people call you gun nuts", which is different than saying "you are a gun nut". But, if that's the worse anyone ever calls you, you're getting off fairly easily. As as far as a serious conversation goes, it's not possible with the people who are posting on this article, so I'm done... have your read their posts? Unbelieveable... and they're walking around with weapons. Scary.
 @TNadal Oh yeah, it's theatrical alright. TSA security is a joke. But it makes the mindless sheep feel better. We ought to take a clue from El Al and actually make security a priority instead of a business.
 @MB  @justmyopinion  @TNadalÂ
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it's all what's termed "Security Theater"Â http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_theater
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it's an act that does little or nothing, but makes people feel like something's being done.Â
 @justmyopinion  @TNadal By the way, what's with the name calling? Seems a little inappropriate don't you think if we're supposed to be adults having a serious conversation.
 @justmyopinion  @TNadal How does that leap happen? I don't know but the TSA gets a little too "touchy feely" with the kiddo's when they don't need to be.
 @justmyopinion Do you really believe such a program will save lives?
Â
1: Responsible gun owners do not give access to their guns
2:Â irresponsible gun owners by definition do not care, and therefore any program provided will be pointless for them
3: Real criminals are not bringing their guns to a buy back program...
Â
4. Responsible gun owners are not bringing their guns to a buy back program
Â
5. The only guns being brought to a buy back program are garbage, in which nobody wants, even criminals.Â
Â
6. A buy backs program is nothing but a political ploy for politicians. (see what I did to protect you)
Â
 @snow surfer @MB "Responsible gun owners do not give access to their guns" Not even the police? Seriously? Snow surfer your post is just a list of how many ways can I say the same thing. The fact that neither one of you is willing to admit that a gun buy back program might just save one life or return one stolen gun to it's rightful owner just proves my point. Thanks you've managed to shred any respect I had left for "responsible" gun owners. Now I understand why so many people call you gun nuts.
 @justmyopinion  @snow surfer Don't go assuming things about what I said or didn't say. I never said it wouldn't save "one life". I said it would have no real impact on violent crime. They are two different things. If we are talking about violent crime reduction through gun buy backs then my position is the same. If we're talking about reducing the possibility that someone might die from one of these guns not being turned in then I'm kind of the same opinion as what I said about violent crime.  THere are a number of factors that go into the thought that turning these in *might* save one life. Like, is there ammunition immediately available for the gun in question. If there is no ammunition then it's just a lump of steel. Too many assumptions are being made, too many variables have no been defined. As a broad stroke yes you could say a buy back will reduce the likelyhood of a gun related death. But you can also make a similar analogy about crossing the street in Seattle. Doesn't mean a lot because it's so broad.
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I'm all for practical solutions to gun violence. But not knee jerk, emotional reactions. Rational, practical solutions. Those are what we need. But for that to happen everyone has to be practical and rational. And quite frankly there aren't a lot of those kinds of people to be found.
@snow surfer @justmyopinion I wouldn't outright agree on 4 It is reasonable say that it is being a responsible gun owner to safely dispose of an unwanted firearm.
@justmyopinion by the way, all of "us" respect firearms for what they are. We also appreciate the engineering, artistry, and the skill of firearms.
@justmyopinion I think many of us have a problem with the supposition that a gun buy back will have some sort of measurable and demonstrable affect on violent crime and that it really is just a "feel good" theatrical show. Getting the guns out of criminals hands is where the effort should be focused. Banning this, banning that only affects the legal gun owners and not the criminal elements who by their very nature do not follow the laws of civilized society. Education on properly storing weapons is another are of focus. The trigger lock giveaways worked. There's just so much theater being sold as solid solutions that it is really disingenuous. That's the crux of the problem. Too much emotion and not enough cold analysis. But in our polarized society you cannot have a middle ground because a middle ground is deemed "counter productive to my respective ideology".
No, no middle ground and apparently for some um no reality either. what "precious" has been banned that's having you cry right now? hmm? A pretty Kalishnikov? A specific # of AK? Waahh! U see how many meth cooks get busted and the arsenal of machine guns seized from a livingroom? Who needs those kinds of weapons besides the military? If we didnt have the bans I could just see the morons finishing a bottle of Vodka and bringing out their new toy, taking out a whole family next door cuz he accidentally "bumped" the trigger. Quit bein a hippy.
@Acushla it's very uncommon to find a machine gun around here. Most of what is found is semi-automatic. And those are definitely not machine guns. They look like them but that doesn't mean much. As for who needs them? Someone who wants it. But in WA it is very difficult to have a machine gun.
 @MB I can't equate a gun buy back with a gun ban. In my mind they are two totally different things. This is a program that can't hurt anything and just might save someone's life. What's the harm? You and your buddies are blowing this way out of proportion. If you don't have a gun to sell, this doesn't have any effect on you. And talk about too much emotion! Have you read these comments? You would think the city was going out demanding people turn in their guns. Jeeze, get a grip.
 @justmyopinion  @MB You would think the city was going out demanding people turn in their guns. Jeeze, get a grip.
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Clearly you haven't been listening to the news. The federal government is in fact trying to do just that, and apparently as long as the majority of people like you believe they aren't, they will most likely succeed.Â
and those few they get just might include one someone wouldve used on themself if that person still had it on the dresser-but oh wait! Darn it the person lives another day $100 or $200 richer because this program just happened to be on a day someone had a way to live and afford to go do something fun. I am just shocked bcuz u have 'only two' grips on yer shotgun, real reassuring to know a weapon exists that reqs an additional grip. Yay us
@justmyopinion @MB and IÂ thank you for being the only individual to show up with a functioning brain cell lol
@justmyopinion I don't need to get a grip, I have two on my shotgun already. The harm is in selling the fallacy that these programs get guns off the streets. They get a few. These programs don't really make the city safer or reduce violent crime. The selling of the lie and and blind consumption of the lie is the problem.