The Virginian-Pilot
©
CHESAPEAKE
Like many who stood outside the police station in South Norfolk on Saturday morning, Ken Kimmons wanted the guns out of the house.
The 52-year-old aircraft mechanic had kept a .22-caliber pistol and .38-caliber revolver locked up in his home in the city's Portlock section. Kimmons found the guns in his brother's house after he died a few years ago and knew he couldn't just throw them away.
The guns were two of 309 voluntarily dropped off at the South Norfolk station and at the Police Department's 4th precinct in exchange for $100 gift cards. It was the city's first gun buyback.
"I don't have to worry about them anymore," Kimmons said. "The gift cards don't hurt either. You're getting rid of them and getting something back for them. At least I know who's got their hands on them."
Police described the program as a way to decrease the potential that a gun, perhaps one stolen from a home, can be used in a violent crime.
Among the cache were three sawed-off shotguns, an assault rifle and an assault pistol. A small number of nonfunctioning guns and numerous rounds of ammunition also were collected. The gift cards were not offered for rifles, shotguns or ammunition.
In Newport News, at least 581 handguns were taken off the streets Saturday for gift cards, according to police spokesman Lou Thurston.
The incentive for Chesapeake's program was anonymity, no questions asked. The firearms needed only to be in working condition and in a plastic sandwich bag or in a clear container for the owner to receive one of the $100 Wal-Mart or Target gift cards the department received through donations and funds from the city's asset-forfeiture program.
The idea was conceived after Chief Kelvin Wright conducted a community forum this summer and decided to rid the streets of weapons. The effort also comes after recent reports of person-to-person crimes.
After the buyback, the guns are eventually destroyed.
"It is our obligation to make the streets as safe as possible," Wright said. "I'm absolutely pleased with the turnout and the number of people who recognize the harm guns can bring to their community, themselves and the police."
Duane Bourne, (757) 222-5150, duane.bourne@pilotonline.com
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Gun buy back v. Hordes of strawmen
Disarm the citizens and you have slaves!
Retain all rights!
There still will be crime!
The Constitution!
Dont disarm me!
When the guns are gone!
Hitler!
Knives are dangerous too!
What about Tobacco and Booze!
Its a simple gun buy back people. The POLICE are HAPPY to have removed 300 guns from people willing to get rid of them. The police say thats 300 less guns that could be stolen (or incorrectly stored such that a kid could find one, or perhaps used by a drunk owner). Sounds like a good idea. The obligatory hyperventilating by the NRA-inclined that a simple gun buy back "wont rid the planet of crime" kinda misses the point.
Recognize....
That's the key word... Do I use a gun to protect myself and my loved ones
or rob someone. The gun's choice? To a hammer,everything looks like a nail. It is the ones abilty to recognize the difference that makes it harmful or helpful to the community. Where did they get this money anyway, a bailout?
Unbiased News? I Don't Think So!!!
12/8/08
This morning I submitted a comment titled “Sell Your Gun and Die.” I included academic citations to support my information. Why hasn’t it been published, being as other comments submitted later have been published? The Virginian-Pilot management continues to say the paper prints unbiased news. How can suppression of my comment not be seen as hiding truthful information that does not support The Pilot’s biased printing of “news”? (Submitted by josephb75599 on Mon, 12/08/2008 at 8:47 am.)
Joseph L. (Joe) Bass
1533 Moores Point Road
Suffolk, Virginia 23436
(757) 238-2089
(757) 288-4888 (Mobile)
Bassjl@aol.com
Hey Doc
"in the middle of the night", I agree, it was in the night time (8:30PM) ,but not in the middle. Sometimes the best intended plans never works out. We can agree hindsight is always 20/20. Good post.
Here's your sign
Resposibility means knowing what you are shooting at and taking RESPONSIBILITY for your actions when you shoot and hit the wrong target. It was not the middle of the night when it happened. 830 pm is the time (I think, but maybe 930pm). You still must think there was someone on the grassy knoll.
To quote the great philosopher 'Skipper the Penquin'
"Just smile and wave boys, just smile and wave."
Good job to everyone involved. There are now 309 guns that will never threaten a criminal again. Thieves can now be just a little more confident when they break into Chesapeake homes that theirs will be the only gun present.
Syndney16, what does responsibility mean to you?
First of all, you accuse me of 'police bashing', but I fail to see how objecting to policemens' lives being placed in danger by irresponsible policies is bashing the police. A good man's life was lost because bad decisions placed both a citizen and a policeman in unnecessary danger.
Unless you are able to read minds or have access to some information not made public, there is no evidence to refute Frederick's claim that he believed himself to be the victim of a home invasion when he shot at the officer reaching through his door and hit Det. Shivers in his front yard.
So, what would you consider a responsible action for a citizen who's door is broken down in the middle of the night by unknown persons? Wait and give the intruder first shot? The police had time to plan and consider risks before choosing to conduct a raid instead of simply presenting a warrant peacefully, Frederick had seconds to evaluate and decide. So, who was irresponsible?
What a plus for the CPD
Lots of new "throw-down guns" for them to use at iffy police shootings. Every Public Safety Officer (PSO)ought to have one at all times.
Sell Your Gun and Die
Many police departments conduct gun buy-backs. I wonder how many people have been murdered who sold their gun to police and didn’t have a gun to protect their own life or the lives of their loved ones? If you call 911 police do not have to come (see Atlantic Reporter, 2nd series, Volume 444. pages 1-12). Even if they come they frequently are minutes away but you will be dead in seconds. Gun buy-backs clearly increase murder rates. And if you don’t think that’s true you have been reading too much phony “research” by medical doctors who don’t know how to conduct criminology research. Read Dr. Gary Kleck’s research findings, buy a gun, learn to use it, stay alive; sell your gun and die.
Independent oversight and transparency.
"After the buyback, the guns are eventually destroyed." What does that mean? Is this part of the public record or a public event, as is the drop off? Full cycle transparency would be cool. There should be an independent body maintaining records of these weapons as they are dropped off and destroyed, to be confident that they are never resold and/or used as "drop weapons" or any other nefarious purpose.