This gun-buyback program in Phoenix appears to be pretty popular.
After taking in almost 1,000 guns in exchange for grocery-store gift cards in the first two weeks, the program's $100,000 donation ran dry, but another anonymous $100,000 donation came in, and it was exhausted again this weekend.
See also:
-Phoenix Gun-Buyback Program Lives, After Another Anonymous $100,000 Donation
-Phoenix Gun-Buyback Funds Run Dry, but People Still Turn in 72 More Guns
-Pricey Colt AR-15 Assault Rifle Among Guns Turned in at Phoenix Police Buyback Event
-Phoenix Police Took in 803 Guns in Latest Buyback, but Just One Assault Rifle
-City of Phoenix Gun-Buyback Program Not Affected by New Law, for Now
-Jan Brewer Signs Bill for Gun Rights (As in Giving the Rights to the Guns)
According to Phoenix Police Sergeant Steve Martos, 937 guns were turned in to police in exchange for the gift cards this weekend, bringing the grand total over three weekends to 1,916.
Police will double-check that count and release the breakdown of types of guns turned in later this week.
The event, coordinated by Arizonans for Gun Safety, initially was scheduled to go on for three weekends this month, but the event -- which was funded to exchange gift cards for fewer than 1,000 guns -- took in 803 guns in the first weekend alone.
Even after the gift cards ran during the second weekend, a couple hundred guns still were handed over to the cops, which looked to be the end of the program, billed as the largest gun-buyback event in the history of the state.
However, the program, funded by private donations, accepted another anonymous, $100,000 donation, which ran out after just one day, this past Saturday -- which was the scheduled end of the buyback program anyway.
The program's taking place before the new law -- which specifically bans agencies from "facilitat[ing] the destruction of a firearm," and instead forces them to turn around and sell the guns to dealers -- that goes into effect.
However, if you check out a story filed this weekend from the Arizona Republic's J.J. Hensley, he notes that police may not be able to destroy all the guns before the law goes into effect.
Potential loopholes in the law to allow gun buybacks to go forward have been pointed out, like Tucson Councilman Steve Kozachik, who suggested selling the guns for pennies to people who intend to destroy them.
Send feedback and tips to the author.
Follow Matthew Hendley on Twitter at @MatthewHendley.
