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Buy back/surrender program exceeds police expectations
Tweet70 guns were collected in the buy back.
By Jon Moffett
Vindicator Staff Writer
YOUNGSTOWN — Police Chief Jimmy Hughes is urging citizens to understand crime doesn’t pay, but being responsible does.
That’s why Hughes and the Youngstown Police Department had a “firearm buy back and safe surrender program” Wednesday at the station.
The department handed out $50 food vouchers for the Sparkle markets on Gypsy Lane and Mahoning Avenue to individuals turning in a complete gun. Officers collecting guns said 70 firearms were brought in. Hughes said the department initially had 30 vouchers, but exceeded that amount quickly into the four-hour drive. He added that a voucher would be given for each gun and the department would make sure each individual received them.
Guns collected will be checked and run through a system to make sure they have not been used in violent crime, and will then be destroyed.
Nick Galanses, 42, of Campbell, turned in an old pistol for his voucher. He said the drive was the perfect opportunity to get rid of the gun.
“It’s useless to me. I mean, it’s just sitting around in a drawer,” he said. “To be honest, I’d probably be afraid to fire it because it’s so old. And $50 worth of groceries is $50 worth of groceries.”
Though Galanses said the drive was beneficial, it won’t help the root of the problem.
“To be honest, I don’t think it’s going to make Youngstown any safer,” he said. “I don’t think that any of the real criminals are going to come here and give their guns away for $50 worth of groceries . It’s worth it more to the normal citizens than it is anybody else.”
Hughes acknowledged similar concerns, saying the people turning in guns are generally law-abiding citizens. But having the firearms lying around is dangerous because of the potential for the guns being stolen during a break-in or accidentally used. He said that the buy back program isn’t a perfect solution, but is a good start.
“I understand that taking guns back is not going to prevent individuals from buying or going some place else, but times are hard and I’m looking at it from the approach that because the economy is bad, it’s going to take them a little bit longer to replenish those guns.”
Mayor Jay Williams agreed with Hughes, saying, “There is far too much gun violence in Youngstown ... But any gun that we can get off the street is one less that can be used in a serious crime.”
Others agreed with the idea of the drive, saying anything that will make the city safer is a step in the right direction.
William Ash, 78, of Youngstown brought in three pistols that had been lying around the house for “40 or 50 years” and belonged to his father and uncle. He also brought in a pistol he had purchased for himself for protection. He said the police are doing all they can to limit the number of gun-related incidents in the city.
“It means a lot for the city in general,” he said. “The mayor and chief of police are doing everything they can to reduce crime, and I think this is a good step toward that.”
Along with the gun collection, the department also offered citizens with outstanding warrants the opportunity to turn themselves in without additional penalty.
Hughes said he had a list of 1,700 capias warrants, mostly misdemeanors, for people in Youngstown. The event gave those people the chance to avoid being arrested at a later date on those warrants.
“What we’re doing is, we’re recalling that capias warrant that was issued for someone failing to appear the first time. By doing that, you’re saving yourself the capias fees, the possibility of being arrested by us, coming to your home, job or where you are, looking for you and picking you up.”
He stressed that the original charges will not be dropped. For those who do not turn themselves in, Hughes said the department will launch a second wave to “round up” the rest.
“It’s my personal commitment to try and make an effort to get each and every one on the list in some fashion,” he said.
Hughes said he hoped for 10 percent, or 170 of those with outstanding warrants and easily exceeded that figure. Officers said anywhere from 500 to 700 people appeared.
jmoffett@vindy.com
Comments
i feel bad for the law abiding people who turned their guns in. now you are all easy targets for these thugs to rob. too bad the drugdealers and gangbangers didnt turn their guns in. oh thats right they need them for their crime sprees.
That 2-shot Derringer-style gun in the picture could've gone for more than $50 at auction. That's a cool collectable.
I agree with gmann. Maybe it's time to arm the citizens and go after the thugs?
The guns turned in were owned by people who did not or could not use them. HundredReasons is correct, many of the guns turned in are worth far more to a collector than the $50 coupon. If you need the money, or want to get rid of an unwanted gun laying around the house, take it to one of the Niles Gun Shows held from time to time at Eastwood Expo Center. There are honest dealers there who will pay you cash. You will get double or triple what the police are offering, the gun will go back into the federally mandated record-keeping system and will take the burdeon off your shoulders.
And the YPD is probably gonna turn around and sell them for more than what they paid these people for them...
Or, at least, I would.
"He also brought in a pistol he had purchased for himself for protection. "
So now he feels safe because he got a $50 food voucher in return? Well if he now gets robbed and the criminal is unscathed and alive I guess it was all well worth it.
VIVA LA CULTURA !
http://i33.tinypic.com/2m6vdhz.jpg
Pssssssttttttt, Hey Jay and Jimmy . ..
If you are really serious about crime, get those crack dealers arrested at the beginning of the month when they have all that cash. Will they have guns too? You bet!
This is typical liberal nonsense. They push for programs and laws without worrying about results. The only result they care about is whether they feel good about themselves for having done it. What we have accomplished here is collecting some guns that were probably in poor repair from law abiding people.
Let's talk more about silly liberal anti-gun agenda. Assault weapons are banned in California, yet one was used to murder 4 police officers.
3 police officers were murdered in Pittsburgh by a man not allowed to own a weapon due to a dishonorable discharge from the military.
A shooting spree occurred in Binghamton, NY in a "gun free zone."
In Canada where a mass shooting occurred in a nursing home recently, it turns out that one of the guns used was a prohibited weapon and another required a license which she did not have. Funny, I would have thought registration and prohibition would have worked. This after the Canadians bought into the gun ban lobby's claims that gun registration will prevent the "wrong" people from obtaining firearms, and having spent billions of dollars trying to implement it.
Wait . . .maybe if all guns were banned that would do it. It has been done most recently in Australia and guess what--armed robberies are up 44% because the criminals didn't turn them in and now they can thank the government for ensuring they won't have to face the possibility of armed resistance. There is a government program that is working out.
Mayor Williams and Police Chief Hughes--you guys get it wrong--AGAIN!
I wonder how many AK-47s were turned in? It is obvious that criminals don't want to trade guns for food coupons. They should offer a food coupon for people that turn in known criminals.
Rokscout, what a brilliant idea! Target criminals instead of worthless old guns from law-abiding citizens. You should run for mayor.
Stan wrote: "He also brought in a pistol he had purchased for himself for protection. "
So now he feels safe because he got a $50 food voucher in return? Well if he now gets robbed and the criminal is unscathed and alive I guess it was all well worth it.
Well he can offer the criminal a apple, maybe that way he will not get shot! Or if he feels brave he can throw the apple at Bubba or Leroy. See I used both references so I would not be called racist. Opps, I need to add Jose and Mao also.
Well, no criminal is going to turn in his/her expensive thug weapon for a 50 bucks. Think about it. An AK 47 probably goes for 500+ depending on condition. Who in their right mind would give away that kinda assault rifle loaded with teflon coated hollow point "cop killer" rounds? Come on. About the only good that would come from this is maybe a child might be saved from playing with jim bob's gun he had lying around the house.