So much for amnesty at gun buy backs

There might be a technical violation, but I can't see any sane DA bringing stolen gun charges unless he could show that the person knew the gun was stolen. However, in NY, there is total handgun registration and no individual transfers are permitted. So, the person almost had to have acquired the gun in an illegal manner, another charge that could be pursued.

Also, gun theft reports based on serial number are often erroneous. Before BATFE issued its current regulations on serial numbers (unique to a maker), makers commonly started each new model with No. 1, so there could be as many duplicate numbers as there are models. And that doesn't even address guns like the Luger, where a full description has to include the number, the suffix letter, the maker and the year of manufacture.

In this case, though, I would not stand up for the guy without knowing a lot more about the situation.

As to walking into a police station with a "found" gun, DO NOT DO IT. If you find a gun, leave it where it is, and call the police. DO NOT PICK IT UP, DO NOT CARRY IT, DO NOT LEAVE IT UNATTENDED if you can help it. If it is a valuable gun, you might consider it a nice find, but no gun is valuable enough to go to prison for.

If you pick it up and it turns out to be a murder weapon, your prints are on it and you might have a hard time convincing some zealous cop that you aren't trying to play games with evidence. If you take it to the police, you could be charged with carrying a gun without a license, as well as tampering with evidence. Those are serious charges, believe me.

Jim

Jim, it is a buy back program.

It is AMNESTY.

No arrests make any sense, unless the gun in question was involved in a felony, and the individual bringing it in was THE felon.

Closed as duplicate. Let's hope there's more to the story.

Whether or not the gun was stolen 20 years ago is irrelevant to the case. The authorities want to put this guy in prison for having a gun. That the gun was stolen is the charge they are using since they promised not to nail the guy for gun possession. Short term gain, long term loss of credibility.

I bet the next gun buy back they have will just be disarming law abiding citizens and not felons.

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Exactly. "Let's get all the guns owned by non-felons off the streets. You felons can keep yours."

Its highly doubtful that this guy stole the pistol; but rather made a bad
choice in acquiring it~! I don't think a thief would voluntarily turn in his
weapon; do you? Unless of course, he was mighty hungry~!

Fortunately, in my neck of the woods, gun buybacks are as rare as hen's teeth. For those of you who live in buyback cities, I have a suggestion for a little fun:

Print MANY copies of this news article and at the next scheduled buyback, begin distributing the article to those waiting in line. (Do your distributing on a public sidewalk, etc. to avoid trespassing hassles.)

I'm thinking the police won't know who to pursue; you, the "paperboy," or those swiftly leaving their place in line. I'd pay to witness this!

.............. and by all means, take another person along with you as a videographer for YOUR protection and MY future YouTube enjoyment!!!!

Yes, as we found here gun buybacks are a feelgood approach, for showing that "we are doing something". They have nothing to do with disarming those who would actually use their guns for crimes, and the criminals know it.

Anyone remember why they stopped giving cash for guns and switched to gift cards?

Because some criminologists believed folks were turning in their "crap" guns for money to buy better guns. Of course, one could resist the temptation to purchase a better gun and just make a $150 beer run at ShopRite. That's a much better idea!

Notice Police Lt. Rickard stated this was the FIRST time a stolen gun has been turned in. My guess is, this is the first time they've received ANY gun with ANY criminal history tied to it. The PD and the reporter are crowing over a gun which evidently was not used to actually perpetrate a crime.

Anyone remember why they stopped giving cash for guns and switched to gift cards?

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Don't think those gift cards can't be exchanged just like cash. Maybe not for face value, but they're just another form of currency.

Hmm 1980's thats wehn the NYC police went o Glocks.
So officer friendly is told turn in your old revolver and he reports it missing when he decides to keep it. Then a few years later he sells it to a pawn shop or at a gunshow, where it is leaglly resold to the poor schmuck.

Or it had disappeared from the Armory along with a few other revolvers that were turned in by NYC's finnest, and winds up being sold by the officer who took it home, now reported stollen or missing, and hen sold to this guy by a friend or even a gunshop.

Well, that's damnesty for you! Save for the eventuality that the person who took the pistol in, was the actual thief, I see little reason for his prosecution.

In the end, I suspect that he will be found innocent, that however subsequent to considerable financial expenditure. It is simply one more case of "over-chargeitis"...charge to the max in hopes of a plea.

For certain future buy-backs will fall off considerably. The bad part is that now those who would do a back will do a through it in the river, lake, pond, garbage, alley, etc, wherein children might find it. True enough, "stupid is as stupid does", and in this case, the powers-that-be were stupid.


Post #2,900

It's like walking on eggshells with these people. And the enforcement branch wonders why no one will step up and help them find the bad guys.

And there you have it.

The only safe way to get rid of a contraband firearm is to now abandon it in the street at 0430.

Good move there.

I know I would not trust any of those buy-back nazis.