By Staff reports
COBB COUNTY - The recent shooting deaths of two teenagers has community and police leaders trying a new tactic to get guns off the street: buying them back.
Cobb and Marietta Police Departments and the Cobb Department of Public Safety are supporting an event tentatively planned for June 27 through 29. The New Order Human Rights Organization proposed the idea. Organizers will raise money to pay for the weapons, which Marietta Police Chief Dan Flynn said will be purchased with "no questions asked."
"It's basically immunity for anyone that turns a gun in," Flynn said. The guns will be turned over to the police, who will try to determine whether the guns were used to commit a crime, he said.
The next meeting for the Gun Buy Back Program will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Destiny World Church, 7400 Factory Shoals Road in Mableton.
"A program such as this gives people the opportunity to rid themselves and our community of unlawful or unwanted weapons," said Cobb Police Chief G.B. Hatfield. "We support the program because it will take weapons off the street and hopefully reduce violent crime in Cobb County, especially in the south Cobb area."
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It is not the guns that cause the violent crime folks, it's the criminals who use them for illegal purposes. Get the criminals off the street and the guns go with them. No criminals on the street, no illegal guns used for crimes. What do you think these thugs are going to do with the money you give them for their old broken guns? They are going to buy better, newer, guns that work and continue to be criminals. What are you folks thinking???
What about the increase in crime of the people who will now steal guns so that they can then sell them legally at the buy back? You are just creating more opportunities for crime.
This is a dumb idea. They have tried this in other areas and the expensive effort was a failure. They often ended up with junk guns that no criminal would use. Why not recognize that the police have got to do some work and go find the criminals who are already possesing guns illegally. Judges should chuck them into jail for five years. Stop silly feel good" programs like this.
Well, at least now I can sale some of my broken and old rusty guns. But I think I'll kept my Glock .45 ...
Well intentiond but oh so misguided. It isn't the guns folks. And it isn't the criminals selling their nice "heat" that gets turned in. "Those who fail to study history are doomed to repeat it." No gun buy back has ever reduced crime and the vast majority of the guns turned in are useless junk. Do your homework and do something that actually makes a difference. This will not.
This is nothing but a political move to make it look like we are "making a difference". It sounds like a good idea but when you get down to it, all this means is local police departments will be shelling out alot of money from their overtime budgets! Way to go People! LOL!!!!!