SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – A police gun buyback held in Southfield last weekend sparked some controversy over how the guns people surrendered were disposed of.
There’s more clarity about ensuring the weapons you voluntarily turn in never get back on the streets, including some of the gun parts.
Local 4 was there Saturday (Dec. 9) at St. David’s Church in Southfield. The sign there says they took in 224 guns.
Some were illegal, and some were used in crimes. But at that time, some parts were destined to be re-sold and go back on the street. That cost the pastor their concern, and those concerns were put to rest on Friday.
They lined up around the church and down the street on Saturday. Owners turned in weapons while netting holiday gift cards for their trouble.
Many admitted they held inherited guns and didn’t know where to go to turn them in safely. Licensed handgun owner Anita Wilson said she’s keeping one.
“One belonged to my mother and one I had just decided let’s get rid of them. I’m not using them,” said Wilson.
Jermaine Brown’s 3-year-old grandson Facetimed with her while in line to turn in her late mother’s shotguns.
“I kept them all this time for nostalgia, but I got a grandson, so they got to get out,” said Brown.
Most everyone there assumed the sawed-off shotguns, the rusty ones held together with duct tape, would end up destroyed.
Pastor Chris Yaw knew otherwise.
He’d spoken with a New York Times reporter about the company accepting the guns and would likely recycle and sell parts like springs, triggers, and barrels.
“I believe this method of ridding our state of guns is unsatisfactory for buyback weapons at a minimum,” said Yaw. “Guns taken out of circulation need to remain out of circulation.”
Gunbusters is the contractor Michigan State Police use to handle buyback guns.
It has now agreed to destroy all the state’s buyback weapons turned in at no cost.
Southfield police Chief Elvin Barren, who oversaw Saturday’s buyback, thanked GunBusters during Friday’s press conference.
“I do want to thank, as Father mentioned, want to thank GunBusters for recognizing, at least in this instance, that more needs to be done and state police for helping that process be seamless for us,” said Barren.
It’s an expensive operation; those gun buybacks Oakland County gave them $5,000, and the church raised another $20,000 for good reason.
GunBusters charges about $70 a gun to destroy. Barren and the pastor said the Michigan legislature needs to make law changes to make the system more streamlined to ensure those turned-in weapons never return to the street again.
