Davis Police Department and other organizations helped residents safely discard their firearms
By GIA LOOMIS — [email protected]
On Saturday, April 19, the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office and the Davis Police Department partnered with the Davis Health and Human Services Agency to host a gun buyback event. The event was fully anonymous and voluntary, maintaining a no-questions-asked model.
The event utilized a drive-up model to ensure a safe, efficient buyback. The officers asked participants to arrive at the buyback with firearms locked in their vehicle’s trunk. No walk-ups were allowed, and participants were asked to remain in their vehicles.
To encourage participation, the police department offered gift cards in return for functioning firearms. Handguns could be exchanged for $50 gift cards, while long guns or privately manufactured firearms fetched $100 gift cards. Additionally, the event also offered to collect non-functional firearms and boxed ammunition.
By holding gun buybacks, law enforcement ensures that these guns are properly collected and disposed of. While this effort aids in making Davis safer, Campbell Buffington, a fourth-year political science major, said it’s not a complete solution.
“Anonymous gun buybacks are a temporary fix to a larger institutional problem,” Buffington said. “While it’s smart for law enforcement to incentivize gun owners to turn in firearms in the name of safety, there needs to be a stronger set of laws in place to ensure gun incidents are not as common as they currently are. So, while I like to see Davis making a step in the right direction, I’d like to see a stronger push towards state and federal lawmakers to enact laws that protect citizens from firearm incidents.”
While these buybacks aren’t a complete resolution, it’s still a step toward safety for gun owners and citizens alike. This is especially beneficial as many people unintentionally possess these weapons.
Lucas Frerichs, who represents Yolo County District 2 and who supports the Gun Violence Prevention Collaborative, explained how many participants unwittingly ended up with these firearms.
“Many of the attendees told us that these guns were hand-me-down guns,” Frerichs said. “They don’t necessarily know what to do with them.”
Frerichs said he appreciated the planning, execution and success of the event.
“I was impressed with the turnout of the gun buyback event — over 100 guns were turned in over a few hours,” Frerichs said. “I really appreciate our law enforcement agencies co-sponsoring this event, in addition to their partnership with my office as members of the Yolo County Gun Violence Prevention Collaborative.”
The Yolo County Sheriff’s Office was also pleased with the buyback event’s results. Lieutenant Don Harmon explained its effectiveness.
“We collected about 100 guns consisting of rifles, shotguns and handguns,” Harmon said. “Some were old; some were brand new. All in all, it was a success. As always, nobody was forced to turn them over. It was just a way of collecting firearms that people no longer wanted.”
Gun buyback events are a great way to dispose of unwanted firearms. While another is not planned with the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office and Davis Police Department currently, check out their websites for more information.
Written By: Gia Loomis — city@theaggie.org
