A recent gun “buyback” in Ohio proves once again that politicians will do anything to make their constituents “feel” safer, whether they really are safer or not.
Over the weekend, Columbus leaders held a so-called “buyback,” which Mayor Andrew Ginther called an “overall safety strategy.” Gift cards of up to $750 were given in exchange for various firearms depending on the type and condition of the guns.
“If gun violence affects your family, then you have a pretty good sense of why this matters,” Ginther told WBNS TV. “We’re just grateful that people take their step up in this community and get rid of guns that they don’t need so we keep them out of the hands of kids and folks that shouldn’t have access to them.”
Deputy Chief Elrico Alli of the Columbus Police Department also got in on the media fanfare surrounding the latest “buyback.”
“We check their serial numbers, we check the weapons to make sure they are not connected with crimes,” Alli told the news station. “The important thing is we’re keeping them off the street. We work tirelessly to make sure that the city stays safe and we come up with new programs, new ways to keep people safe and keep people coming to work, live and play in our great city of Columbus.”
What neither Ginther or Alli mentioned—and I guess it’s possible that they aren’t even aware—is that such turn-in programs have been proven ineffective by unbiased researchers.
Before looking at that, however, let’s dissect the term “buyback.” Since the government never owned the firearms they are attempting to take possession of in the first place, they can’t actually buy them back. In fact, “compensated confiscation” is a much better term for these events. Of course, that doesn’t sound quite as good on a liberal mayor’s resumé as a gun “buyback” does.
Back to the reality check: A 2022 study looking at the effectiveness of so-called gun “buybacks, what the researchers called GBPs, and published by the National Bureau of Economic Research concluded that such “buybacks” have no measurable impact on reducing violent crime. The paper is titled “Have U.S. Gun Buybacks Misfired,” and was authored by Toshio Ferrazares, Joseph J. Sabia and D. Mark Anderson.
“Gun buyback programs (GBPs), which use public funds to purchase civilians’ privately-owned firearms, aim to reduce gun violence,” the paper’s abstract stated. “However, little is known about their effects on firearm-related crime or deaths. Using data from the National Incident Based Reporting System, we find no evidence that GBPs reduce gun crime.”
That said, the abstract continued even further with additional information that should put an end to the fallacy of such shenanigans once and for all.
“Given our estimated null findings, with 95 percent confidence, we can rule out decreases in firearm-related crime of greater than 1.3 percent during the year following a buyback,” the abstract concluded. “Using data from the National Vital Statistics System, we also find no evidence that GBPs reduce suicides or homicides where a firearm was involved.”
Deep within the analysis of the research are some other pretty interesting facts the trio discovered.
“GBPs may fail to reduce gun violence for a number of reasons,” the researchers wrote. “First, if the price city governments are willing to pay gun owners is less than the value of the firearm for most sellers, a relatively small number of firearms may be collected. Second, if criminals believe law-abiding citizens (and potential victims) are relinquishing their firearms, then they may be more willing to commit gun crimes following a GBP.”
The number of firearms collected by Columbus police this year hasn’t been announced, but Mayor Ginther is already promising to hold another one later this year or next. Since research proves these events don’t make anyone safer, maybe the upcoming “buybacks” will at least make Ginther feel like he’s doing something to fight violent crime.
Well, looking at Mayor Ginther’s record for ‘crime fighting’ effectiveness a gun buy back is still right in line with his overall standard of doing nothing.
Can you change your mind when they offer you $150 for a $800 piece? I was quite entertained watching AK guy trying to buy from people waiting in line! That takes serious nads!
Buyback? Does this mean that government sold them in the first place? I forgot Fast And Furious.
“Buyback? Does this mean that government sold them in the first place?”
You are getting warm.
“Buyback” means all firearms are essentially property of the govt. Thus bringing guns back to the proper owner (govt) puts guns where they belong. Besides, the term is eye candy for media.
Before i will cooperate hey must produce receipt or bill of sale proving they sold the gun to me in the first place.
RE: “We check their serial numbers, we check the weapons to make sure they are not connected with crimes,” Alli told the news station. “The important thing is we’re keeping them off the street.”
Any criminal sees strings attached to the “buyback” is not going to participate in a we check this and that load of demoCrap. It’s no questions asked, diplomatic immunity or those with a rap sheet ain’t showing.
If someone criminally misuses a firearm, brick, bat, knife, fists, feet, vehicle, etc. then that individual receives an appropriate prison sentence which can include death row. Put the rules up on billboards around cities ran by democRats.
“The important thing is we’re keeping them off the street”
/Deputy Chief Elrico “Rock” Alli
If you say so….
Sounds better than “We’re keeping them out of the box at the back of someone’s closet.”, which is likely the reality for most of them.
Yup
VSO gun channel on YouTube has a unique perspective. He lives in Columbus & has supported the local po-leece. Well not anymore! I admit getting 800 bucks for a junk gat is tempting😀
They’re a great way to get rid of broken firearms you don’t want to foist of on someone else.
Good point!
Yeah, it’s a good place to get rid of a Rossi.
I bought a Rossi once–once–and it was the most defective POS I’ve ever owned.
Right out of the box it was broken, dangerously defective. I’ve literally seen better quality in children’s toy cap guns.
It was the Rossi Circuit Judge Rimfire, a revolver carbine, and despite being a revolver (which are supposedly reliable), it was a jam-o-matic, jammed up every other shot. When it did function, it had a trigger weight of about 50 pounds (not 5, fifty!), and the cylinder didn’t line up with the barrel right (dangerous!), and the sights were loose, and a half dozen other serious problems.
Rossi refused to honor the warranty on this brand-new gun, refused to repair or replace it, but my LGS took pity on me and gave me my money back. They probably sawed it up and tossed it in the garbage because if the manufacturer won’t honor the warranty on a dangerously defective new gun, the only thing you can do is saw it up and discard it.
Im sure all the violent criminals and anyone with any intent whatsoever to use their gat in a future crime were first in line. How ignorant.
On the other hand I’ve got an EZ rack Ruger 380 that wont get thru a mag failing to go back into battery at some point that I’d love to give back for a cool $750 lol.
The only stinker ive ever gotten from Ruger.
Cleanup on Aisle Six: Kamala Says She’s Ready to Blow Home Invaders Away > http – s://ww -w.shootingnewsweekly.com/politics/cleanup-on-aisle-six-kamala-says-shes-ready-to-blow-home-invaders-away/
These are always a total joke. Virtue signaling by politicians and a way for grandma to make a few bucks to go buy some food for her 30 cats. Just don’t mention it’s her own tax money she’s getting back.
I love it when someone cracks the code and sells homemade pipe shotguns or zip guns for massive profit, but this is getting increasingly rare as these loopholes get closed up. Most places now don’t allow people to try and buy from those in line, even FFL holders.
It will get a lot less funny when it’s called a “mandatory buyback” which is just Newspeak for “gun confiscation.”
Yep, once the counting stops around midnight and all those “new” ballots appear and hand every swing state to the Donks, it’s off to the races with full-blown confiscation because they know they’ll never have to worry about getting voted out again.
yeah it will get real serious real quick if they come around for gun confiscation. People don’t like their RIGHTS, taken by a corrupt Gov.. They better bring medics and body bags while they’re at it as neighborhoods will put an end to it quick. Many sheriff’s will not put up with it also. Look up Sheriff Mack and the CSPOA, constitutional sheriffs and peace officers association. The supreme court would never allow it unless they get corrupted. States should seriously start secession from the criminal DC. Long live the constitution. Join and donate to a gun organization so their monetary war chest is ready. There are a lot of things we can do to take back OUR Gov.
The last “buy back” here was all cheap bolt action rifles and .410 shotguns. a waste.
Another Year, Another Worthless Columbus, Ohio, Gun “Buyback”
If it saves one life, or even if it doesn’t, it is worth it to try. Results are irrelevent, it is making a common sense effort to get crime guns off the street, and that is worth doing, because reasons.
After 20 mins on Google, half dozen sites, plus a quick trip through Reddit (and the requisite shower afterwards) I still have yet to find what “up to 750$ means” and a price list per firearm type.
I think it’s possible that $750 was for STG44’s only. Who knows.
I think I can infer from someone on Reddit that some people got $750 for cheapo AR’s and if so good for them.
BREAKING NEWS FLASH!!!
“If you take all the guns off the streets you will still have a crime problem. However, If you take all the Criminals off the street you cannot have a gun problem.” – the late Marine Col. Jeff Cooper
“Killing is a matter of will, not means. You cannot control the intent by passing laws about the means.” – yeah Jeffy.
“One of the notable aspects of the democratic process is that one need not know anything about a subject in order to pass laws about it.” – yep, 1958, Jeffy on a roll.
“Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.”
– – H. L. Mencken
Although I live in a township contiguous to Columbus, I am grateful every day that I am not a Columbus resident. That started @40 years ago as an accident of real estate choice. Very shortly after that fortuitous decision, I was bound and determined that no one would ever convince me to move over the township/city limits. I might call Columbus City Hall a decades-long clown show, but I have way too much respect for actual clowns.
Is there a mailing list for these “buybacks”? I have a useless Turkish Mauser I ended up with in a package deal that I’d love to get $750 of someone else’s money for!
Edited to avoid modding. Is there a mailing list for these buybacks? I have a useless Anatolian M@user I ended up with in a package deal that I’d love to get $750 of someone else’s $ for!
Ridiculous m.o.d.eration continues.
Wrote a perfectly innocuous post yesterday and for some unknown reason it gets flushed.
Used to be here multiple times a day a couple years ago and now it’s once a week at best.
Have no idea what this place is thinking.