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A Times Editorial
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 14, 2001
Between scurrying for firearms and ammunition in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on New York and the Pentagon and rushing to the grocery for pre-Gabrielle provisions, Pasco residents have an opportunity to address safety in another way.
The third annual gun buyback program will be held Saturday at the Pasco Sheriff's Office, a first-time effort for Sheriff Bob White's administration, as part of Cease Fire Tampa Bay.
The irony is unintentional. The date was set weeks ago, but the buyback comes after the brisk business this week at gun shops, some of which reported a 100 percent increase in sales.
The buyback's aim is to dispose of unwanted firearms to prevent potential injury or criminal activity. Over the past two years, residents turned in 688 guns to Pasco deputies.
The likelihood that guns exchanged for certificates would have been used to commit a crime is remote. But, the program is an inexpensive and effective way to rid a home of a no-longer-needed firearm, which in turn eliminates the opportunity for the gun to fall into the hands of a curious child.
Though heavily criticized by Second Amendment advocates as ineffective, the program is worthwhile. Tampa's first effort, called Operation Cease Fire, netted more than 1,300 weapons in 1998. Only four turned out to be stolen, defying predictions by the National Rifle Association that easy disposal would lead to more gun theft.
The buyback expanded to Pasco in 1999, a welcome effort that was preceded by the accidental shootings of four children over the previous year. Last year, participants turned in guns that had sat for years underneath work benches and on top of shelves. One woman even delivered a foot-long 40mm bullet. Several senior citizens wisely said they didn't want the guns around while grandchildren visited.
To participate, adults should bring unloaded guns in secure containers, preferably in the trunk of a vehicle, and be able to show proper identification. In exchange, the program offers $50 gift certificates good at Beall's Department and Beall's Outlet stores and Winn-Dixie Marketplace. White set aside more than $13,000 in money confiscated in drug cases to pay for the discounted certificates.
The guns can be turned in 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at three sites: the jail at Central Boulevard in Land O'Lakes, the east Pasco operations center on Howard Avenue in Dade City, and the sheriff's main administrative offices on Citizens Drive, off Little Road, in New Port Richey. For information, call 1-800-682-3217.
As stated in the past, the effort should not be misconstrued as gun control. Cease Fire Tampa Bay promotes gun safety, plain and simple.