Mexican police offers Xboxes for guns.

[A guy from Texoma]

Mexican police offer Xboxes for guns

As part of a trial anticrime initiative to get people to give up firearms, police offer a trade-in for consoles and PCs.
By Emma Boyes, GameSpot UK
Posted Mar 28, 2007 6:45 am PT

Police attempting to tackle the problem of crime in the inner-city barrio of Tepito, Mexico, have come up with a novel idea. They're offering citizens game consoles in exchange for guns, reports Reuters.

Under the program, part of a push against drug violence, a small gun can be exchanged for cash or for an Xbox console. The report doesn't state whether the consoles are the original Xbox or Xbox 360.

High-calibre weapons such as machine guns would be swapped for a computer valued at 8,500 pesos ($769).

The weapons the police receive will be destroyed by the army, and those who give them up are promised anonymity. A police spokesperson reported that on the first day of the scheme, March 27, 17 guns had been handed in.

Just thought someone might get a chuckle or be interested in this.

 

[TexasRifleman]

The report doesn't state whether the consoles are the original Xbox or Xbox 360.

Or where they are stealing the XBoxes from

 

[A guy from Texoma]

Well, an original xbox is only $129. lol That and I believe at one point they had a manufacturing plant for Xboxes, so maybe they were "DONATED".lol

 

[GrizzlyGraves]

The weapons the police receive will be destroyed by the army

Uh-huh.....

 

[TexasRifleman]

Well, an original xbox is only $129.

Exactly. Where did the Mexican Army get $129? They can barely put gas in their vehicles.

Why would I not be shocked to learn that Soros or IANSA or similar was funding this nice program.

 

[doubleg]

The weapons the police receive will be destroyed by the army .

More like "The weapons the police receive will distributed among the police ranks and more than half will be sold back onto the streets."

 

[bogie]

Soon to be reported: Massive defection to Mexico by THR gamers...

 

[A guy from Texoma]

Well.... I do have a cheap 9mm Tokarev copy that I got for a song. lol

 

[Geronimo45]

Load the car up with Lorcins, and zip across the border. Trade for Xboxes, come back up here, sell Xboxes to buy better guns. And ammunition.

 

[psyopspec]

A police spokesperson reported that on the first day of the scheme...

At least they're not dancing around what it really is. Assuming the target audience (dangerous criminal element) actually takes the bait, the computer will allow them to go from petty hold-ups to all-out electronic theft. My high school guidance counselor wasn't lying when he said everyone who wanted to succeed in their field would need computer skills.

 

[aguyindallas]

Geronimo has it right!

I say buy all the beat up mosins, junk guns etc...take em, trade em and use them to buy AMERICAN made guns!


A Guy from Texoma....nice THR Handle! Very.....uhm.......well said!

 

[A guy from Texoma]

Thanks. lol I couldn't decide on what to make it so I thought I'd keep it simple.

 

[El Tejon]

Did anyone else notice that they specified "machine guns" in the fee schedule?

Thus, they had to admit that machine guns are on the streets of Meheco. So, much for the power of governmental regulation!

 

[velojym]

I wonder how many Mexi-cops are gonna turn in part of their 'collection' for a console... You can figure that a bunch of the confiscated arms never make it into the station.

 

[cwmcgu2]

Guys I have been so inspired by the generosity of the Mexican government that I am going to take similar measures. I will trade my xbox for an AK, AR or any other assault rifle... it's part of a new program I'm starting. I want to get all those "dangerous assault rifles" out of your gun safes and into mine

 

[Kali Endgame]

This is a brilliant idea.

Everybody knows video games make people violent. Disarm the people, then make them violent. Genious. A whole bunch of pent up rage and nothing to do with it. They should stage a revolution and fix their country's problems. Maybe Mr. Gates can donate some of his old Xbox systems.

 

[velojym]

Ooh, I have a spare computer I can swap for something like a FAL or an M1A..

 

[RickSavage]

This is very amusing , Mexico can't feed itself but they will buy the guns from the people. Stop the revolution before it starts or at least remove it's tools....

 

[Titan6]

More than likely these are locally made XBox rip offs.

I wonder what I can get for the old Atari my mom has in the atitc that she won't throw out.

 

[Justin]

Sure hope that they aren't giving away copies of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 with the systems because then they'll just have to give them right back to the cops.

 

[Axman]

I wonder what I can get for the old Atari my mom has in the attic that she won't throw out.

Maybe an old cap gun that fires paper cap rolls?

 

[Reddbecca]

Way to exploit the system.

Buy up all the cheaply made zinc guns you can afford, turn them in one at a time, sell the Xbox console for $100-150, take the money and buy high quality guns.

 

[Professor K]

You know, Century Arms buys stuff foreign gun amnesties hand in.

 

[Frog48]

A more effective way to lower crime in Mexico would be to give away Xbox's to people that rat on corrupt cops and military officers...

 

[Kali Endgame]

Grant48,

Even if Microsoft exported all Xbox's to Mexico, there is no way they could keep up with that kind of demand. That's over 100 million needed.