The county has announced a buyback event at Alliant Energy Center on Aug. 13. Here, volunteers Jerry Tews and Vince Perkins prep a surrendered AR-15 to be taken apart at a gun buyback event last June at Midvale Community Lutheran Church.
The gun buyback is planned as a “no questions asked event,” allowing citizens to safely surrender unwanted firearms for destruction and receive gift cards for gas or groceries in exchange
The county has announced a buyback event at Alliant Energy Center on Aug. 13. Here, volunteers Jerry Tews and Vince Perkins prep a surrendered AR-15 to be taken apart at a gun buyback event last June at Midvale Community Lutheran Church.
The Dane County Sheriff’s Office will host a voluntary gun buyback event on Aug. 13 to provide a safe and legal way for citizens to dispose of unwanted firearms.
In partnership with the Madison Police Department, the gun buyback is planned as a “no questions asked event,” allowing citizens to safely surrender unwanted firearms for destruction and receive gift cards for gas or groceries in exchange.
The Dane County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution last Thursday allocating $50,000 for the program, $12,000 of which will go toward overtime costs for the sheriff’s office and the Madison Police Department. The remaining funds will go toward fuel and grocery gift cards, facility use fees and supplies.
The sheriff’s office will provide $10 to $25 gift cards for facsimile firearms, pellet guns or BB guns, $50 gift cards for revolver handguns, $100 gift cards for handguns, shotguns and rifles, $200 for ghost guns and $250 for assault rifles or similar weapons.
“We will accept any and all donations and we greatly appreciate it,” Sheriff Kalvin Barrett told the Cap Times. “With our collaborative effort, we're working with all members of our community to reduce the population of guns that are accessible in our community.”
The gun buyback is planned as a “no questions asked event,” allowing citizens to safely surrender unwanted firearms for destruction and receive gift cards for gas or groceries in exchange
Some citizens who possess firearms may be unable to provide safe storage, or may no longer want the firearm in their homes due to a variety of reasons. Disposal of unwanted firearms is not typically a simple process.
Barrett said that “too often, firearms can get into the wrong hands.” The Sheriff’s Office is providing this opportunity for citizens to safely turn in unwanted firearms and possibly prevent a tragedy.
Mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, Uvalde, Texas, and more have caused local leaders to call for more gun reform. But overall, little can be done locally. This is one way to help, said Supervisor Alex Joers, District 9, a sponsor of the county resolution funding the event.
“Across the country, we've been seeing a wave of gun violence, even in our community,” Joers said. “We want to be able to make sure that we're doing everything that we can to prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands.”
With the recent mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois hitting close to home, the program is aimed at reducing the number of firearms potentially accessible to children, youth and vulnerable individuals.
Joers urged solutions at the state and federal level, such as universal background checks and red flag laws. Red flag laws allow courts to prohibit a person from possessing a firearm if police or family members feel that person is a threat to themselves or others, according to state legislature.
Those wishing to participate in the gun buyback can drive up to the Alliant Energy Center on Aug. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with their unloaded firearms in the trunk of their vehicle, with the safety on, and the gun in a case or box. The gun must be in working condition and can be delivered anonymously.
Magazines or ammunition must be in a separate area of the vehicle, such as the backseat. A deputy will then remove the firearm from the trunk in trade for a gift card. No questions asked, Barrett said.
“Our ultimate goal is to reduce the population of guns on our streets,” Barrett said, “and then focus on the back end investigative side of this, which is when we'll run the serial number and close out open investigations and even return stolen firearms back to the rightful owners.
“This isn't a silver bullet for gun violence, but this is a step in the right direction to continuing to build trust with our community members that there is a safe place to get rid of unwanted firearms and do it in a safe manner.”
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