01-21-2014 - Gun Buy Back Event0
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TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Christopher J. Chung
City Manager
BY: Doug Murray
Acting Chief of Police
SUBJECT: GUN BUY BACK EVENT
City of West Covina
Memorandum
AGENDA
ITEM NO. 12
DATE January 21, 2014
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council provide direction to Staff
and the Police Department regarding the gun buyback event scheduled for Saturday, January 25,
2014.
DISCUSSION:
At several City Council meetings in 2013, the City Council discussed a Gun Buyback program
and ultimately provided direction to City Staff to research and propose options for a program in
West Covina. On December 17, 2013, the City Council requested updated information
concerning the proposed program.
The goal of a Gun Buyback Program is to increase public safety by removing unwanted and/or
illegal firearms from our community that could be used in the commission of crimes. While the
vast majority of firearms in our community are legally possessed, some weapons do find their
way into the wrong hands as a result of vehicle burglaries, home burglaries, home invasion
robberies and other types of theft. It should be noted that the Police Department already accepts
legally possessed guns for destruction from the public; however, providing a Gun Buyback
Program with a gift card incentive may entice individual participation and become more
effective in reaching our community.
The City of Los Angeles has sponsored a Gun Buyback Program every year since 2009. Los
Angeles has recovered over 6,200 firearms since the program's inception largely due to the fact
that the firearms are turned in anonymously. Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)
representatives stated that the success of their program increased dramatically when they
modified the program to accept guns anonymously versus identifying individuals who were
surrendering firearms. The Los Angeles program has been operated through the Police
Department and Mayor's office, which offers a $200 gift card for the surrender of an assault rifle
and a $100 gift card for any other weapon. The focus of this style of program is to eliminate
firearms, not to further criminal investigations. At LAPD's last event, nearly 2000 guns were
recovered which cost Los Angeles $200,000. This expenditure was independent of personnel
costs and other operating expenses. Typically, Gun Buyback events are coordinated by larger
cities and/or counties because of the vast resources required to make the programs successful.
There have been protests at gun buyback locations because there are organizations that disagree
with the program and its goals. There is a potential for both positive and negative publicity
associated with this type of event.
Buyback weapons cannot be entered into criminalist or ballistic databases. As a matter of policy,
the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's (LASD) Criminalist / Firearm and Toll Mark
Division will not accept or test firearms that are submitted without a case number and an
associated crime classification. The Police Department uses the services of the LASD lab with
exclusivity, therefore under the terms proposed of the West Covina Buyback program, no
surrendered firearms can be submitted for anytype of laboratory testing. LAPD's practice is
identical.
Local advertisement including press releases, website advertisement, Facebook and Nixle have
been planned for release prior to the event. In response to the council's direction, an
advertisement was ublishin the December 2013 / January 2*4 issue of Discover West
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Covina. The article stated that all participants would remain completely anonymous.
The available funding permits the Police Department to provide a $50 gift card from a West
Covina business until our maximum budget is exhausted. This will allow gift cards for up to the
first 70 guns surrendered. All advertisements reflect these limitations.
The West Covina Buyback is modeled after the LAPD program. The location for the eve1.nt,mill
be in the City Hall parking lot on Saturday, January 25, 2014 from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Guns
will be turned in anonymously and we will accept all firearms whether they are registered, not
registered or illegal. No one will be prosecuted for turning in an illegal firearm.
ALTERNATIVES:
The date of the event, Saturday, January 25, 2014 is rapidly approaching and the Police
Department is seeking direction on whether to proceed or cancel the event.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Police Department can use available funds including its "Community Policing" account to,,w
pay for the proposed gift cards. The costs for the person iel necessary to facilitate the event will
be absorbed within the Police Department budget.
By: DoQ idurray
Acting Chief of Police