WI: Madison Gun Turn in "Buy Back" gets One Gun

Gun Watch ^ | 8 May, 2016 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

 

Madison, Wisconsin had a gun turn in event last weekend.  This type of event is also known as a gun "buy back", which is a propaganda term designed to get people used to the theory that all guns (property) belongs to the government, and that anything the government takes, it is simple taking "back".  The guns at these event, in 99.9% of the cases, never belonged to the government. 

This event turned out to be a bust.  Only one gun appears to have been turned in.  Statistically, in Wisconsin, it was likely a broken single shot shotgun or an old .22 rifle.  A couple of years ago, in Milwaukee, another turn in event brought out a lot more guns and private buyers to compete with the police.  I have not found reports of private buyers at the Madison event.

Academics have routinely found that the turn in events do not produce useful results, and likely are a waste of police resources.  From the Freakonomics" web site:

When it comes to gun buybacks, both the theory and the data could not be clearer in showing that they don’t work. The only guns that get turned in are ones that people put little value on anyway. There is no impact on crime. On the positive side, the “cash for clunkers” program is more attractive than the gun buyback program because, as long as they are being driven, old cars pollute, whereas old guns just sit there.

This is from 2009.   It is not particularly unusual; academic studies are in agreement that gun "buybacks" do not reduce crime, and that police resources used for them could be better spent elsewhere.

In 2000, academic Garnen Wintemute had a definite opinion about gun "buy backs".  From the chicagotribune.com:

`The continuation of buyback programs is a triumph of wishful thinking over all the available evidence.' -- Garen Wintemute, director of the Violence Prevention Research Program, referring to evidence that gun buyback programs did nothing to reduce gun-related crime in several major U.S. cities.

Many Second Amendment supporters have said that the "buy backs" are not about reducing crime, but are used as street theater to promote gun control policies.  I have written that the purpose of "buy backs" is to teach people that guns are bad and should be turned in to the police.  Garen Wintemute has changed his thinking a bit, 13 years later, and admits that the propaganda use of "buybacks is the most important part of the program.  From governing.com:

“They have intangible value that we have really been underestimating,” he says. “They never will reduce rates of violent crime, but that may have been the wrong parameter to look at.”

As part of a larger discussion about public safety, Wintemute says, buybacks may play an important role in mobilizing a community to examine gun control.

That seems to be the only real purpose of the Madison turn in  "buy back".
From nbc15.com:

"The event today is designed save youths. These young ladies right here need to grow up without getting shot, without getting shot, without worrying about their mom, dad being shot. It's too much senseless violence and mainly in the black community," Maymon said.

Madison police collected at least one gun as a result of the program and they also passed out free gun locks to registered gun owners.

From Scott L. Schable in the comments:

Wisconsin does not require registration of all firearms, and cities cannot force registration. Cities have never owned the firearms, so the "gun buybacks" are a scam, so it needs to reported that Madison and other cities don't want to enforce the gun laws, and just make the sanctuary cities for criminals and gangs.

We may never know if there were any private buyers at the Madison event.  Private buyers destroy the propaganda value of the message that "Guns are bad, turn them in to the police."  The private buyers send the message: Guns are useful, sell them to us for more than you will get in this silly government program.

Wisconsin has become a gun friendly state, with large numbers of peaceful, responsible, gun owners.  




©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch 

[marktwain]

A gun turn in event typically uses a couple of thousand dollars of police time and resources.

They got one gun turned it, but it "made a statement".

[ghosthost]

to make the streets safer, guns should be handed out

[Lurker]

On opening day of deer season in WI there are more armed people in the woods than there were in Kuwait during Desert Storm I.

L

[shelterguy]

No criminal is going to voluntarily give up a gun.

[Fai Mao]

“On opening day of deer season in WI there are more armed people in the woods than there were in Kuwait during Desert Storm I.”

LOL

[Ken H]

Chew a pop-tart into the shape of a gun and turn it in.

[rjsimmon]

Chew a pop-tart into the shape of a gun and turn it in.

[cyclotic]

Wow, what a successful gun buyback. Just one gun turned in means that we have eliminated all the illegal guns from the streets of Madison. It’s time to declare victory and lay off the Police Department.

[Southern_Republican]

These always buy backs puzzle me: How can they ‘buy’ back firearms without a FFL license. No Form 4473 is filled out by the buyer. Is that not illegal?

[Southern_Republican]

Should say these buy backs

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Re: No private buyers at the Madistan sale.

Law-abiders here in Lib-Town are a’skeered of guns and would rather be raped, robbed or murdered than own one.

And, our few local gun dealers know that the illegals and gang-bangers imported from Chicago and Minneapolis, are NOT giving up the goods! ;)

[TonyM]

As a owner of many guns I see these buy backs as a great opportunity to get a few bucks for old broken down unsafe weapons that you could not get five bucks for at a pawn shop.

[ThunderSleeps]

Statistically, in Wisconsin, it was likely a broken single shot shotgun or an old .22 rifle.

Hey, I've got a broken Remington 12 GA I should turn in. I mean sure, to the untrained eye it looks fine, seems to operate safely and fire when the trigger is pulled. But it is surely broken. The {expletive} thing just will not hit any geese... ;-) I'm sure it is the gun's fault. After all, if they are to blame for killing people, they must similarly be to blame for missing game. Right?

[marktwain]

Every unsuccessful hunter knows that missed game is the gun’s fault. Sometimes a skilled hunter can “rehabilitate” these faulty guns.

You might try sending the gun to a successful hunter to see if they can rehabilitate it.

However, these guns are know to “reaquire” their bad habits at inappropriate times.

[Red in Blue PA]

One too many.

[i_robot73]

>No Form 4473 is filled out by the buyer. Is that not illegal?

Come now. The ‘law’ is only for the little people.

We already know cops can lie to you, speed, blow through red-lights and generally abuse their authority with impunity. They get (almost) as much of a pass as the ‘elected’.....ALMOST

[GOPJ]

I don’t know how it’s done today, but in the early days there was a strong ‘don’t ask’ questions of the folks turning in the guns. It was widely known these were great events for crooks to get money for inferior guys they had stolen from homes - so they could use the money to buy better weapons. Pawn shops were watched but not ‘buy back’ events...

[Tenacious 1]

On opening day of deer season in WI there are more armed people in the woods than there were in Kuwait during Desert Storm I.

LOL. I read somewhere that if you simply invited every hunter in America to join a single unit, it would be the largest armed force on the planet. I can't say how effective they would be in coordinated offensive combat. But I do feel a little better thinking that an actual invasion of the continental USA would be VERY problematic for a ground force of any size.

[ThunderSleeps]

You might be right but... full disclosure, I bought it from a successful hunter. Sigh... I’m afraid the problem is with the stock: it’s tucked into the wrong shoulder. Actually there might be something to that. I’m at least average with my other shotgun (Mossberg tactical style) and average to somewhat better than average with my rifles. Maybe we’re just not meant for each other? It’s not you, it’s me...

[Pontiac]

Madison police collected at least one gun as a result of the program and they also passed out free gun locks to registered gun owners.

Now there is a stupid idea and a waste of money.

If you are going to give away gun locks with the idea of increasing the safety of the public the last people to which I would give away a gun lock is to a registered gun owner.

They are the people most likely to be already practicing good safe firearm handling and storage.

If you want to get gun locks in to the hands of those that need them, give them to unregistered gun owners. In other words anyone who ask.