Posted on 08/01/2012 4:57:20 AM PDT by marktwain
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office will hold the county’s first gun buy back on Aug. 11, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Town Center.
“This is a no questions asked–amnesty opportunity for anyone to turn in unwanted, operational firearms,” Fleming said.
Individuals will receive a $50 gift card for each firearm turned in, up to a maximum of three. Additional guns will be accepted, but gift cards will be limited to three, while supplies last. Other weapons, such as knives, swords, brass knuckles, etc., will also be accepted.
The program is being funded through a $7,000 crime prevention grant award by the Flagler County Commission. Businesses wishing to donate gift cards should contact Capt. Lynne Catoggio at (386) 586-4805.
Those wishing to turn in their guns should drive to the north side of Central Park at Town Center. A drive-through station will be set up and deputies will come to the vehicles. Guns should be unloaded and stored in the trunk area or bed area of trucks. Participants must not leave their vehicles.
For those who wish to discard guns but are unable to drive to the site, deputies will come to your home during this period and pick up the weapons. Arrangements may be made by calling (386) 313-4911.
The proposal drew skeptical responses from Fleming’s opponents in the sheriff’s race. Fleming is running for re-election in the Aug. 14 primary.
“Gun buy-back programs may be popular in communities and are designed to give the impression that law enforcement is doing something about illegal guns,” John Pollinger, one of Fleming’s two Republican opponents, said. “No one with the intent on committing a crime while armed is going to surrender that firearm in exchange for a gift card. In addition, buy-pack programs such as these encourage citizens to otherwise keep firearms they no longer want or need in the hopes in the future, government is going to provide some type of compensation or reward in exchange. I would rather see the $7,000.00 in taxpayer money used for educational and diversionary programs for the youth in Flagler County to discourage them from obtaining any illegal gun in the first place.”
To Karl Tozzi, one of two Democrats running against Fleming, the program is the program is “an excellent way of getting weapons off the street.”
“The only problem I see,” Tozzi said, “is that we should not cap the quantity of guns per person nor should we have a cap on the number of funds we are allocated to take the weapons of the street. If you are going to start a program like this for the first time in our county, we must have adequate funds to assure that the program works and gets all the guns possible in one fell swoop. We certainly don’t want people walking away with unsold guns in there trunks because we ran out of gift certificates.”
All four of Fleming’s opponents were given the chance to address the buy-back program.
“This is the first time we have offered a gun buy back in Flagler County and I think it will prove to be a valuable service to our residents,” Fleming said. “The more guns we take out of the community, the less opportunity there is that one of those may be used in a crime I encourage folks to take advantage of this opportunity.”
As an additional service, Sheriff Fleming has ordered a prescription drug take back during this event. Gift cards will not be distributed, but residents may drive through the appropriate station where unwanted prescription drugs will be accepted. Needles in Sharps Containers will also be accepted as part of this operation.
I suspected this before I started searching. We need to did a moat around New York and starve them to extinction.
I suspected this before I started searching. We need to dig a moat around New York City and starve them to extinction.
Ding, ding, ding! Free Republic Post of the Day!
“Hey sheriff, I’ll give you 50 bucks for that .45 you got there on your hip.” Na this WUSS probably uses a “9 Mil”.
I am just repeating what the CCW Instructor told us. Be it that his comments were directly related to his experience with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and since it is the largest shop, with five locations, he talks to a lot of officers. Maybe it was worse case scenario, but he was very pointed about it. He also mentioned something about the need for an attorney to straighten out the situation.
Take it for what it is worth.
LOL! Maybe....but for $50 bucks, I'll take it! :-)
I’m sorry, but this entire idea smacks of corruptability.
How exactly can a reasonable chain of custody be 100% guaranteed?
It cannot. I see an easy way for any LEO to pick up a few throw down weapons right there - and don’t say that it doesn’t happen.
That to the side, thank you for your explanation of GTB and how the magic number (little known) is applied here in Florida, but are you certain that firearms are not in an entirely separate category from other stolen items, GT or not?
I did not research this law so I am not asking as satire, I just do not know.
Thank you for your post.
“How exactly can a reasonable chain of custody be 100% guaranteed?”
It cannot if you are buying used items. Nor do I think it should be. To have a 100% guaranteed chain of custody for guns is to invite gun confiscation.
Here is an old but good post:
Gun Registration is Gun Confiscation
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2608785/posts
Of course, an individual can guarantee that the firearm is tied to them if they buy only new and keep records of the sale. With the current war on the constitution, I can see why some people would be concerned with that, just as constitutionalists are concerned about the government having records of gun sales.
“it is the largest shop, with five locations”
People tend to hear what they want to hear. Conscious or not, he has a vested interest in discouraging private sales.
$7000 Grant for Crime Prevention, eh?
A Concealed license class, in my stomping grounds, cost about $90.00.
How many of those do you think could be paid for, with that grant?
How many law-abiding citizens could that enable, ‘to do the right thing’?
Would THAT not be a ‘crime detterent’?
How many of those do you think could be paid for, with that grant?
How many law-abiding citizens could that enable, ‘to do the right thing’?
Would THAT not be a ‘crime detterent’?"
Excellent point. I suspect that this sheriff department is not one of those who are offering free gun classes to women as a crime deterrent.
St. Landry Sheriff Hosts Women’s Self Defense, Gun Classes
http://kpel965.com/st-landry-sheriff-hosts-womens-self-defense-gun-classes/
They LIED! They are not supposed to be collecting a database of all serial numbers!
The only database of serials they are SUPPOSED to have is a list of stolen guns.
Actually, you are correct in that only the stolen guns are in a database and the screen on the inquiry only comes back with a stolen or not stolen designation. There is and never was any mention of an all encompassing database of all guns or any other information tied to it except whether it is listed as stolen.
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