San Francisco Buyback Celebrates Taking Guns, 'Bazooka' Off Streets

Last week, we reported on a gun buyback program in San Francisco that was offering cash for guns, rather than the gift cards that are so often handed out.

Over the weekend, the buyback took place, netting 271 guns, as well as a few other items.

Advertisement

“We got everything that you can name that could destroy a whole universe, and we get rid of them within hours,” said Rudy Corpuz Jr. with United Playaz, a community group that helped organize the buyback with police.

There were no questions asked. People were given $100 for a handgun and $200 for assault weapons, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Here are some of the items taken in.

The media referred to the spent AT-4 tube as a “bazooka.” I’m sure police are very proud to get this off the streets. Of course, these aren’t actually on the streets in the first place.

What they got was either a spent tube or a trainer model. The only way that can be used as a weapon is if you swing it at someone. Even then, it’s not really ideal.

Don’t get me wrong, these are neat and all that. I want a couple for around the house. After all, I have a daughter who will be dating someday. Let the prospective date ponder if those are inert or not.

Advertisement

Anyway, they’re not dangerous by any means, but I bet someone got some cash for it, thus punking the San Francisco PD and the group hosting the buyback. Kind of like what happened in LA a few years back.

Whoops.

Most of the guns they picked up were about on par for the course for a buyback. Some are nice, but probably not the kind used for crime, like the shotguns in the above tweet. A few others look like they might be more dangerous for the people using them than to anyone it’s pointed at. Others were somewhere in between.

But they’re deluded if they think they’ve done anything about crime in San Francisco. They haven’t. They simply gave people a way to get rid of firearms. I’m curious how many of those were used in crimes that will now never be solved because the police have given the bad guys a perfect, no risk way to get rid of the evidence. How many families won’t get answers because of buybacks like this?

Meanwhile, the criminals? They didn’t get rid of most of their guns. They still have plenty and will still use them to rob, rape, and murder their way through life.

Advertisement

You’re proud of your buyback program? Awesome, but you’ve accomplished nothing.

In fact, buybacks may well make the world less safe because it helps criminals get away with their activities. They can drop a gun at a buyback, get a little cash–something they couldn’t get for chucking it into a pond or river, mind you–and with the no questions asked policy, the police will never know anything.

I can even see there being a bit of a thrill over handing a gun used to shoot someone over to a police officer, knowing that it’s evidence, but also knowing he won’t ask a thing as he pays you for the evidence.

But so long as people can feel good about themselves, that’s all that matters.

Join the conversation as a VIP Member