Improving access and availability of community firearm disposal facilities

Abstract

There are currently an estimated 265 million firearms in circulation in the U.S.— a civilian arms stock that is increasing by 3-5 million firearms each year. Acquiring and accessing firearms in the U.S. is remarkably easy. But disposing of unwanted firearms in a way that permanently removes them from the existing civilian gun stock can be extremely challenging. While many police departments and city authorities organize firearm “buyback” campaigns, these initiatives—often implemented infrequently, over short periods—tend to be costly and show few effects that merit their expense. Where voluntary disarmament initiatives have been found to work, they have been implemented at scale, often over longer periods of time. Increasing access to firearms, combined with limited options for disposal, results in communities saturated with firearms, potentially undermining other local and national initiatives aimed at preventing firearm-related harm.

We aim to develop and test a technological intervention to increase the availability and convenience of resources to dispose of unwanted firearms. We propose to design sustainable disposal facilities that can be installed and secured in public places. Such facilities will allow

residents to safely deposit unwanted weapons, to be: (a) stored safely until removal by a third party; or (b) destroyed on the spot, using mechanical innovation embedded within the unit. This initiative has undergone initial public consultation with members of three urban communities in the City of Philadelphia and has been subject to an initial legal analysis by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office to examine legal barriers to implementation.