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Here is another guns for gift cards swap. In Chesapeake!!!

Thundar

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Chesapeake to swap $100 gift cards for handguns
Posted to: Chesapeake Crime News



Two sides
Critics say such efforts don’t generally attract criminals; the programs are too costly; and participants can use the money to buy better guns. The city says it is offering gift cards to prevent people from trading up and is looking for donations to fund the effort.


By Kristin Davis
The Virginian-Pilot
© October 18, 2008
CHESAPEAKE

Police officers will swap $100 gift cards for handguns - and only handguns - in the city's first buyback program planned for later this year.

It's a departure from other gift certificates-for-guns projects that have accepted everything from Grandpa's World War II carbine to Dad's hunting rifle.

The buyback is one of several citizen-generated initiatives that sprang from a series of Chesapeake community meetings following the July 1 deaths of two South Norfolk men. Both were killed by people armed with handguns.

The city plans to set up at least two locations one day this winter where gift certificates from a major retail store will be traded for unloaded handguns in working order - no questions asked. Police will take other types of firearms, but they won't hand out gift cards for those, said Officer Dorienne Boykin, Chesapeake Police Department spokeswoman.

Hundreds of people lined up to trade rifles, pistols, sawed-off shotguns, assault weapons and a host of other guns for $100 gift certificates in a Newport News buyback nearly a year ago.

The program netted 357 firearms - and was considered so successful that another one is planned for December, said Newport News police spokeswoman Holly McPherson.

Critics say that such efforts generally attract law-abiding citizens rather than criminals or would-be criminals; that the programs are too costly; and that participants can use the money to buy better guns.

Chesapeake hopes donations from private companies will fund the initiative, Boykin said.

They're offering gift cards instead of cash to prevent people from trading up.

"It's good to get guns off the street, but that's not the solution," said Calvin Coley, a felon and former gang member who now speaks out against crime.

"After I spend my gift certificate, I'm back to where I was. A gun was my protection, my survival tool," Coley said. "After you turn it in, what else do you have to offer them? What do you have for the guy who turns in his gun and really wants to make a difference?"

Dr. Lin Hill, director of South Norfolk Christian Outreach Ministry, called the buyback "just one of the slices in the pie."

Several crime-prevention strategies are planned in Chesapeake throughout the next year, including a campaign to encourage young people to report crimes, mentoring programs and faith-based re-entry services for those recently released from jail.

Police will determine whether the weapons exchanged in the Chesapeake buyback are stolen or were used in the commission of a crime, Boykin said.

Stolen guns will be returned to their owners. Guns used in crimes will be processed as evidence.

The rest will be destroyed, Boykin said.

Kristin Davis, (757) 222-5208, kristin.davis@pilotonline.com
 

LEO 229

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I hate those buy back programs!!!

As the article says.....

"The rest will be destroyed!!"

What a shame!
 

T Dubya

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"Buyback" implies that the government once owned the firearms. I would lik to see the stats on how many guns they find that were used in a crime.
 

Thundar

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T Dubya wrote:
"Buyback" implies that the government once owned the firearms. I would lik to see the stats on how many guns they find that were used in a crime.
I wonder if the guns know how to say "Am I being detained?"
 

Thundar

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My FOIA Request to the Chief of Police regarding the program:

18 October 2008

From: XXX XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXX

Chesapeake, VA XXXXX



To: K.L Wright

Chief of Police

304 Albemarle Rd.

Chesapeake, VA 23322



Sir, in the 18 October 2008 Virginia Pilot Journalist Kristen Davis wrote an article describing a Chesapeake P.D. handgun swap for gift cards.



In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) please provide the following information:



Any policy, instruction, rule, regulation, written procedure, written letter, e-mail or other communication for this gun buy back program, to include the coordination, cooperation, funding or donations to this gun buy back program with any other government agency or organization, private company, corporation or individual.



The preferred response is in a digital format delivered by e-mail to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.



Thank you for your contribution to open government.



Sincerely,



XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 

tripledipper

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"Whats cracking?"What utter nonsense. As if any gangbanger would trade their piece for a measly $100 when they can sell drugs or rob someone when they arenot busy killing a rival gang member. Only naive citizens will take up this offer and it will do nothing to lessenthe nightly shootings in the hood.:banghead:
 

LEO 229

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Thundar wrote:
Under whatlaw does a Chief of Police in Virginia have the authority to destroy public property which has value? I am just curious.
Interesting question.

I know that items from a police property room are destroyed all the time if the owner cannot be found or it goes unclaimed. These items could possibly be sold at an auction to generate money for the local government.

Some items are used by the department but there is a ton of paperwork that must be completed before it can happen.

But you KNOW that they want those guns off the streets... for good!!

I would be interested in knowing who pays for the gift cards. I would not want my local government paying for guns and then cutting them up.

It has no impact on crimeand is a feel good measure only.
 

Marco

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1.As if any gangbanger would trade their piece for a measly $100 when they can sell drugs or rob someone when they arenot busy killing a rival gang member.

2. Only naive citizens will take up this offer
3. it will do nothing to lessenthe nightly shootings in the hood.:banghead:
1. Actually it would be a great way to dispose of a gun used in a crime, knowing it would be destroyed by the very people looking for it, irony.

2. Not true, I know many LAC that have used the stupid BB to get rid of abroken(unrepairable) firearm.
When I had my FFL I bought Jennings/ Lorcins for $50 new and turned them in for $100 GC's.

3. Agreed.
 

Nelson_Muntz

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LEO 229 wrote:
I know that items from a police property room are destroyed all the time if the owner cannot be found or it goes unclaimed. These items could possibly be sold at an auction to generate money for the local government.

Some departments do sell confiscated goods at auction. I guess some are not allowed to as well. Here's a site that routinely disposes of confiscated stuff as well as dumps remaining stocks of equipment (no guns though):

http://www.propertyroom.com/Default.aspx
 

nova

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Doug Huffman wrote:
Will the transactions generate 4473's and if not why not?
Because they're the Government. They can do whatever the hell they want. Who's going to stop them? The BATF? pfft. :X
 

LEO 229

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nova wrote:
Doug Huffman wrote:
Will the transactions generate 4473's and if not why not?
Because they're the Government. They can do whatever the hell they want. Who's going to stop them? The BATF? pfft. :X

A Firearms Transaction Record, or Form 4473, is a United States government form that must be filled out when a person purchases a firearm from a Federal Firearm License holder (such as a gun shop).


They are not buying guns from "gun dealers"maybe former "drug"dealers :lol:
So I suspect it would no more required than it would fora private purchase.
 

kimbercarrier

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Hey it works for me. I have a piece of crap .38 a friend gave me that's so unsafe I'd be afraid to pistol whip you with it. A dealer at a gun show said it wasn't worth $25.

I'm looking for some christmas money. A Walmart gift card to go buy some ammo would be sweet.
 

Citizen

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kimbercarrier wrote:
Hey it works for me. I have a piece of crap .38 a friend gave me that's so unsafe I'd be afraid to pistol whip you with it. A dealer at a gun show said it wasn't worth $25.

I'm looking for some christmas money. A Walmart gift card to go buy some ammo would be sweet.
Don't. You're really just "taking" your fellow taxpayers.
 

Citizen

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Thundar wrote:
SNIP My FOIA Request to the Chief of Police regarding the program:

You understand that could be a very expensive FOIA.

See the provisions ofVA Code 2.2-3704:

F. A public body may make reasonable charges not to exceed its actual cost incurred in accessing, duplicating, supplying, or searching for the requested records...All charges for the supplying of requested records shall be estimated in advance at the request of the citizen.

H. In any case where a public body determines in advance that charges for producing the requested records are likely to exceed $200, the public body may, before continuing to process the request, require the requester to agree to payment of a deposit not to exceed the amount of the advance determination.

Since you didn't ask for a pre-determination or put a dollar amount limiter statement in your request, you could be on the hook for as much as two hundred dollars or more, depending on how much info there is tosearch, duplicate, and release. Notice they may require pre-payment for over $200. Not must.

I think it wise to put a dollar limiter statement ina FOIArequest. Something like, "If youestimate the cost of this FOIA requestwill exceed $(amount you're willing to pay here), please contact me with your estimate and await my written authorization before proceeding with the search for the requested records."

Also, its wise to leave no room for any misunderstandings about what exact information is requested. The above FOIA request is worded a little vaguely in the middle where the actual records are specified. You could end up with a reply that, in part, sends you to the custodian of records for the other agencies. I like the idea of making a separate line for each record or category of records. Whatever makes it mistake proof.

Well done on keeping it neutral. Adversarial FOIA's only tip your hand and tell the responder he might as well start exercising exemptions, including any he can contrive or invent, if he is so inclined.

http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+2.2-3704
 
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