Critics of gun buyback programs say there’s no hard data that proves the programs reduce gun violence in cities.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The city of Columbus is planning another gun buyback event this fall, citing the success of last year’s event.
Last year’s September gun buyback brought in 344 firearms. The city gave a total of $136,600 for those firearms. The idea is people bring guns they have and want rid of, turn them in and get money in return.
“If you sell them to other locations, you never know where that gun is going to end up. We know that a large majority of guns that end up in crime are stolen from either a car or a house,” said Rena Shak, executive director of the Office of Violence Prevention. “Last year we paid well above street value to incentivize people to bring those firearms in so we could …