SBPDPIO
By the Santa Barbara Police Department
On May 20, 2023, the Santa Barbara Police Department held a Gun Buyback at the Santa Barbara City Yards. The Gun Buyback Program is an initiative to enhance community safety by reducing the number of unwanted firearms in the Santa Barbara area. SBPD saw a great response from residents who demonstrated their commitment to creating a safer environment for all.
Overall, the Santa Barbara Police Department collected 137 unwanted guns. A variety of firearms were collected, including California legal and illegal guns. These weapons surrendered represented a significant step toward reducing the potential risks associated with these weapons.
All the firearms collected during the program will be properly disposed of in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements.
SBPD would like to thank all the community members who participated in the program. Their responsible actions in surrendering unwanted firearms demonstrate their commitment to community safety. Also, we would like to thank the other city departments that assisted in making this program successful.
Another reason to turn in old guns is when they just wear or rust and might be dangerous to use.
Ignoring the fact that they’re always dangerous to use.
A lot of those guns look like they were worth more than $100. Perhaps the owners didn’t realize they could go to one of our local gun shops and get more for them. In any case, these programs are a bit like the he cash for clunkers program. Destroying old guns helps increase demand for new ones, supporting the our firearms manufacturers.
Sac, my point is that if these guns had been sold instead of destroyed they would cut into the demand for newly manufactured firearms and thus the profits of gun manufacturers. By paying people to destroy the guns, the government is driving up the cost of used firearms and incentivizing gun buyers to purchase newly manufactured firearms as opposed to used firearms. This is a form of subsidy for the gun industry.
CHIP – “they also took a lot of fully serviceable used guns out of circulation.” – These weren’t in “circulation,” they were in attics and storage sheds most likely. That’s the point. It’s likely no one giving up these guns had plans to re-sell them. As such, even if they weren’t destroyed in the buy-back, they would have been still sitting unused in storage or in homes. Unwanted guns SHOULD be destroyed. They only pose a danger to the inhabitants of the home and to anyone down the line should a burglar steal them.
Sac, selling a gun at a local shop is a great way to dispose of an unwanted firearm. It ensures getting a fair market price for it which could be substantially higher than $100, and it ensures that whoever buys it will pass a background check. I would strongly encourage anyone with an unwanted firearm to call a local gun store. It would be a shame to destroy a valuable example of fine craftsmanship and history, why not sell it on, make some money, and give someone else an opportunity enjoy it?
Chip you just made up a whole lot of stuff. At least your consistent.
” firearms manufacturers will need to make 137 more guns than they would have otherwise to replace this loss.” – no, they won’t. They won’t even know about this “loss.”
“If the individuals turning in these guns were truly were opposed to firearms, perhaps they would have better advanced their cause by selling these guns into the second hand market at a discounted cost ” – to increase the likelihood of these guns killing innocent civilians at the hands of criminals or just criminally negligent gun owners. Yeah, people who are opposed to firearms are totally going to take that risk.
Dude, just stop. The people who participate in buy backs want their guns out of their home, not in the hands of others. Why else would you participate?
CHIP – I understand your point, I just disagree with it. There is no demand for unwanted guns. Had these guns not been destroyed, they would have remained in the participants’ homes and may have even accidentally (or intentionally) killed a family member at worst. These aren’t typical “gun owners” relinquishing guns. They likely never would have been sold. This gets unused and unwanted guns out of peoples’ homes. The market doesn’t notice their disappearance if there was never an intent to sell them.
“I would strongly encourage anyone with an unwanted firearm to call a local gun store.”
Thank you for your valuable contribution. I’m sure that the thousands of gun owners reading this would never have thought of that.
“my point is that if these guns had been sold instead of destroyed they would cut into the demand ”
They weren’t going to be sold … or if they were, the owners still had that option. The gun buyback program doesn’t *prevent* anyone from doing so, therefore your point was, is, and always will be completely bogus.
“The people giving up these guns may not be buying new ones, but they also took a lot of fully serviceable used guns out of circulation.”
They weren’t in circulation, silly.
Chip fails logic as usual. The buyback program doesn’t prevent people who could have sold their guns to gun shops, given them to their children (shudder) or friends, etc. from doing so. These are people who, for whatever reason (mainly because Chip’s claimed market for used guns doesn’t exist), did not and were not going to sell or otherwise “recirculate” their guns, or would not have been able to get $100 for them. And who would pay less than $100 for a gun? Most likely a wannabe criminal (or a child).
I drove through some bleak areas of Texas recently and saw billboards advertising cash for guns. Looks like even the tweakers, Qanoners and doomsday preppers realized Obama, Biden, and the deep state lizard people aren’t going to take their guns. “We love the poorly educated.” Lmao
Perhaps the owners did realize they could get more for the weapons but thought it would be blood money. Perhaps they wanted these items out of circulation. Perhaps not everyone is so obsessed with money as is Chip.
“Destroying old guns helps increase demand for new ones,” – uh…. people who are giving up guns to this program aren’t likely in the market to purchase new ones. How is destroying unused and unwanted guns creating demand?
The people giving up these guns may not be buying new ones, but they also took a lot of fully serviceable used guns out of circulation. There is a huge demand for firearms and something on the order of 20 million are sold every year. Since this buyback program destroyed 137 guns, firearms manufacturers will need to make 137 more guns than they would have otherwise to replace this loss. For this reason, gun buyback programs are a stimulus program for the gun industry. If the individuals turning in these guns were truly were opposed to firearms, perhaps they would have better advanced their cause by selling these guns into the second hand market at a discounted cost in order to reduce demand for new firearms and profits for firearms manufacturers.
Or perhaps…the owners realized they didn’t need to live in fear and decided to get rid of guns they no longer wanted or needed with no intent to buy new guns.
And perhaps, they didn’t want to sell the guns on knowing that there would be a possibility the weapons would be used in crimes or even to take an innocent life.
Perhaps, but that would mean caring about other people, so weird.
Chip – that sounds like a low information word salad.
HAHAHA! Ok, Chip. Riiiiiight.
Proof of that, Chip? How does destroying old guns make demands for new ones? I don’t buy it. I’m happy to see ANY guns being off the street.
Laughable, Chip. You write as if guns were an endangered species, rather than there being approximately 460 million of them in America!
ChipOfSB: You have made a valid and honest points, yet you get “slammed” as if you are out of your mind. Many of us, including you, understand how things really work in this world, while others seem to get the talking points from their politics of insecurity. Reminds me of that movie where Jack Nicolson barks back at Tom Cruise about not being able to handle the truth (“You want me to be truthful? You are not capable of handling the truth!”). Follow the party line and you end up with a San Francisco, a Portland, a Seattle…..or worse. These progressive west-coast cities are spiraling in what is called a “doom loop” with no way out of it. Anyone been to Union Square recently? If you have, you know what I’m talking about, which is the truth, but some are not able to handle the truth.
They are buying back guys?
Is this where all the good guys have gone?
Yes. I tried to sell mine back but they wouldn’t take him.
It’s like a divorce but you get money back
Calling it a “Buy BACK” program is inaccurate. Since the PD didn’t sell those guns so how can they buy them back…?
This makes me happy! Less guns makes me happy. Get them OFF the streets and OUT of circulation! I hate this country’s sick obsession with guns.
Thankful these guns have been laid to rest. Realistically none came from criminals who can also get guns on the street anytime they want. I watched a documentary on a guy who went to 4 towns hit the streets and it was amazing how fast guns appear with$$ on hand. Guns are not going away.sadly
This is a good way to destroy unwanted guns. Most of these guns were in attics or storage–no one is using them. Removing them from being misused by family members is a good reason they should be destroyed.