Crimestoppers is an attempt to, well, stop crime. It’s a program designed to allow people to provide anonymous information to police, information that can lead to making arrests. Such programs in a given area are usually run by non-profit groups trying to help reduce crime in their communities.

In Panama City, Florida, it looks like Crimestoppers is serious about stopping crime. Not just are they a program that provides information to the police, but their latest fundraiser may do more to advance their mission than just making some money.

Panhandle Chapter of Crimestoppers is holding a month-long fundraiser to commemorate their 40th Anniversary.

Crimestoppers along with The Powder Room will raffle off 30 guns in 30 days.

In a lot of places, this would be a non-starter.

For the record, The Powder Room is a gun range in Panama City Beach. For some reason, their web page wouldn’t load up for me so I could see the guns themselves, but my internet has been a little wonky today.

Anyway, 30 guns in 30 days may well do a fair bit to reduce crime in Panama City as pretty much anything else. After all, more guns mean less crime, so putting more guns out there will reduce crime.

And even trying to get a gun will help reduce crime. It’s an all-around win no matter how you decide to cut it.

If Panama City has been getting hit with the violence surge everywhere else has seen, it’s no surprise that Crimestoppers would need to raise money. It’s also no surprise that they’d look at doing a gun raffle.

Elsewhere, we’ve seen tremendous outrage at people raffling guns, as if the winners won’t have to go through a NICS check before they can take possession of the firearm. It’s absolutely ridiculous.

Florida isn’t likely to see that much, but I do expect there to be things said about it. Some people claim they just want sensible gun control laws, then lose their minds at the thought of anyone getting a gun. Why else go nuts at the idea of someone giving a gun away?

Regardless, if you live in the area, consider buying a ticket or three. They’re $35 each, so they’re not exactly cheap, but the chances of you winning a gun are better than normal and it’ll go toward one of the few things that shouldn’t cause a huge controversy, trying to get information about crimes to the police so they can solve them.

Either way, you win. Maybe you win directly and get a new gun. If not, you win because your community is just that much safer.

Or, conversely, you can just buy a gun or two and make a donation. Nothing says you have to take a raffle ticket when you pay for it, then you make the community even safer.

In the end, the answer to crime won’t be simple. It’ll take a lot of parts and a lot of people working toward a common goal, and this is a great example of how that can go.