what are they thinking

[1frozenhillbilly]

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Police in South Carolina gave away roses on Valentine's Day. All you had to do to get one for your sweetie was turn in a gun.

Hoping to get the weapons off the streets with the "Guns for Roses" program, authorities in two central South Carolina cities set up a program where anyone who turned in a gun received a free rose and a Best Buy gift card.

At a Columbia church, five cars lined up to give away guns before the exchange had even started. At the end of the day, Columbia area police had collected 191 weapons and police in Sumter collected 32.

"We've got a great turnout so far," Richland County sheriff's spokesman Lt. Chris Cowan said.

A handgun was worth a $100 gift card, while a rifle or shotgun netted a $50 gift certificate. Cowan said one man turned in six handguns, worth $600 in gift cards.

Cowan did not immediately have a total value for gift cards given out. Sumter Police Chief Patty Patterson said her program gave out $550 in gift cards for long guns and $2,100 for handguns.

There was no amnesty for those turning in the guns. The weapons were being checked to see if they were stolen, names and addresses were jotted down and ballistics tests would also be done to see if the firearm was used in a crime.  (italics and u.l. mine)

Both Cowan and Patterson said there were no incidents and no arrests made Saturday.

Cowan said the idea was spawned in part by Columbia Police Chief T.P. Carter and Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, who has made headlines recently for investigating Michael Phelps after a photo surfaced showing the Olympic swimming champion smoking a marijuana pipe. The program was modeled after a California one; similar exchanges have been done in New York and San Francisco.

Cowan said gun donors were young and old, men and woman. Many had a big smile and some said it was a relief to get rid of the weapons.

And did they even care about the rose?

"Most of them have taken it," Cowan said.


theyt really got a lot of criminals to turn in their guns yup yup

[BjornBee]

The last sentence sums it up as for the attitude of the cops....."a lot of criminals".... what idiots.

As for the amnesty part, you could assume that most guns were old, broken, and hardly types being clutched by "criminals". This is more PR for the local authorities, than actually getting guns out of the hands of criminals.

Collecting 191 guns that have never been used in a crime, does little.

And any gun worth having, is worth much more than what they got with a 50 dollar gift card. I'd like to see exactly what "gun" they removed from their supposed respected public, that the cops label as "criminals".

[Brian D. Bray]

I have one gun I might consider turning in for a $50.00 gift certificate to G.I. Joe's, Sportsman's Warehouse, or Cabella's.  It's an old 22 short model 2 Winchester single shot with no stock and is fouled so bad that you can't load a round in it any more.
But if the gift card ain't to someplace I can get another gun or ammunition for my others, I'm not trading it in.

And any gun worth having, is worth much more than what they got with a 50 dollar gift card. I'd like to see exactly what "gun" they removed from their supposed respected public, that the cops label as "criminals".

Must be an election year.  That kind of public theatrics serves no purpose except to get guns out of the hands of people either don't know how to use one or need the gift certificate to augment their social security check.

[BjornBee]

I wonder what would happen if I ran an advertisement in the paper offering 100 dollars, for quality firearms, with no questions asked.....

[kathyp]

they do that here.  it is so sad to see grandpas antique turned in and melted down.  according to our police, no guns are saved.  not even the antiques.