Last fall, Oakland County spent $45,000 to sponsor buybacks at four sites involving seven police departments. With payments as high as $300 per firearm, depending on the type, gun owners walked off with cash and officers said they welcomed “getting guns off the street.”
This year, Oakland officials want to expand, with more cash going to more police departments. Grand Rapids held a buyback in September, spending $40,000 to bring in about 300 guns. Gun buybacks are regularly held in major cities around the world, with Chicago and Los Angeles known for massive events costing hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
Dr. Patrick Carter discusses what the data says about these strategies with the Detroit Free Press.