Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signs bill banning destruction of guns surrendered at buyback events

[Blue_Tires]

PHOENIX — Arizona cities and counties that hold community gun buyback events will have to sell the surrendered weapons instead of destroying them under a bill Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law Monday.

The bill was championed by Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature who argued that municipalities were skirting a 2010 law that was tightened last year and requires police to sell seized weapons to federally licensed dealers. They argued that destroying property turned over to the government is a waste of taxpayer resources.

Democrats who argued against the bill said it usurps local control and goes against the wishes of people who turn over their unwanted weapons to keep them out of the hands of children or thieves.

Buybacks are popular among some police and elected officials who either pay cash or hand out gift cards in exchange for weapons. Tucson and other Arizona communities destroyed weapons from the events, arguing that because the guns were voluntarily surrendered, the laws concerning weapons seized by authorities didn’t apply....

...The governor’s office said it received nearly 2,000 letters, emails or phone calls about the bill, with only 25 opposed. One of the letters in support was from the National Rifle Association, which argued that selling seized or forfeited guns “would maintain their value, and their sale to the public would help recover public funds.” The NRA letter said the bill doesn’t prevent a private group from holding an event and destroying the weapons.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/arizona-gov-jan-brewer-signs-bill-banning-destruction-of-guns-surrendered-at-buyback-events/2013/04/29/d929b892-b13f-11e2-9fb1-62de9581c946_story.html

So in that case why even have buybacks?

[gejohnston]

1. This goes in a couple of columns.

IIRC, this was sparked by a recent one in Tuscon that had 42 cops standing around and the city claimed "public security" when asked how much the whole thing costs. Taking those cops off the street is a waste when only two or three would be needed.
I have nothing against "buybacks" other than the misnomer name and simple fact that is theater.
This is my opinion:
I doubt most of the people dropping the guns off really care, since they are not there to make a political statement. They found a gun that has been sitting in the garage or their parents sock drawer for 50 years and don't know what else to do with it.

The collectors on the sidelines probably get the good ones, since they are paying market value. Meanwhile, the city gets scrap metal. The city won't recoup their losses.

Unless it is coming out of state funds, it's really none of the state government's business.

Yes they are popular with police chiefs and politicians because it makes it look like they are doing something.

So in that case why even have buybacks?

Other than providing a service that safely disposes of unwanted property, they don't do anything. There are gun shops in the US and Canada that provide a similar service. There is one in Alberta that pays market value and will be resold if it has any, while the sock drawer specials go to scrap metal, the prohibited are turned over to RCMP or local police force.

[kudzu22]

2. I agree that some deserve destruction

but to destroy the ones that have value makes no sense. When every state is starving for cash, it makes no sense to destroy valuable property. If you "buyback" one for $50 and it's worth $500, you not only waste the $50 you paid but the $500 you could have brought in by reselling it. I believe the accountants call it "opportunity cost".

Beyond that, I don't have a problem with so-called buybacks, except that it's a convenient way to dispose of a murder weapon, no questions asked.

[gejohnston]

3. thought of this thread when I came across this

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2012/06/15/artsy-zip-guns/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Sachs_%28artist%29
http://boingboing.net/2012/06/14/selling-zip-guns-to-cops-for.html

One artist, Tom Sachs, claims to have made guns not for their artistic metric but for profit. After realizing guns could be made easily and cheaply, he run a small manufacturing racket producing functional zip guns to sell to a New York City gun buyback program for up to $300 a piece.

Imagine a bunch of zip guns at a police auction.