Gun exchange exceeds expectations
For the sake of my own happiness I'm just going to think that all the guns turned in were found in dark alleys. The people turning them in were all aware the firearms were involved in crimes. At least they were smart enough to turn them in for money instead of to the police station when they found them, they get money this way. Yes this paragraph is all BS, just don't like the idea of someone giving up a firearm.
I am glad the person whose gun had to be unloaded turned in their gun. That was just stupid.
MICHIGAN CITY | Gift cards for guns were given out so rapidly, police in Michigan City had to go to Walmart to reload.
Money to purchase more $50 gift cards ran out in just one hour. Police going in figured they had enough gift cards to last two days.
"We exceeded our expectations completely," Michigan City Police Sgt. Chris Yagelski said.
The "More Buck for the Bang" program was supposed to begin at 10 a.m. but people lining up early outside the police station with guns to exchange for extra spending cash forced police to open the doors 30 minutes sooner.
When the dust settled, a total of 94 handguns, shotguns, rifles and BB guns were collected.
In comparison, about 50 guns in a 48-hour period were turned in under a similar gift exchange program last year.
Yagelski said the first 64 gift cards provided totally by Walmart were given out almost right away.
Police department funds were scraped together to purchase another 30 gift cards -- which quickly vanished, too.
"It was amazing," Yagelski said.
Guns ranged from an old military-style rifle, a rusted sawed-off shotgun and derringer often carried by women in their purses were turned in.
Just one of the guns had to be disarmed.
The handguns will go into a bulletproof glass case now containing more than 300 firearms confiscated in recent years in drug raids and other crime scenes. The case is on display in the police station lobby to make a visual impact about the dangers of guns.
Michigan City Police Chief Ben Neitzel said the main thrust of the exchange program is to reduce the number of guns in homes for burglars and thieves to steal.
Stolen firearms -- when exchanged for drugs -- many times end up on the streets, he said.
Yagelski said he believes the economy had something to do with the huge response.
"Fifty dollars worth of groceries or Christmas shopping is something that people are digging in their closets for guns saying, 'I don't need that anymore,'" Yagelski said.
For the sake of my own happiness I'm just going to think that all the guns turned in were found in dark alleys. The people turning them in were all aware the firearms were involved in crimes. At least they were smart enough to turn them in for money instead of to the police station when they found them, they get money this way. Yes this paragraph is all BS, just don't like the idea of someone giving up a firearm.
I am glad the person whose gun had to be unloaded turned in their gun. That was just stupid.