Anonymous gun buyback program runs out of money and requires ID. Niiiice
Suffolk runs out of cash for gun buyback program -- Newsday.com
BY ANN GIVENS
ann.givens@newsday.com
8:28 PM EST, December 23, 2008
Mark DeAngelis heard that Suffolk County was giving people $200 gift cards to turn in illegal handguns last weekend, so he looked behind a rafter in a warehouse he rents and found a revolver he stashed there 20 years ago, he said.
He called Suffolk's Third Precinct in Bay Shore, confirmed that they were still doing the program and then drove there and turned over the gun, he said.
But after he handed the gun to the officer, he said he got bad news: There was no money left.
"He basically said, 'You just gave me an illegal handgun. We're out of money. Do you have a problem with that?' " said DeAngelis, 43, of Patchogue, who said he bought the gun to get it out of the hands of a man he considered dangerous.
"He said he would give me a receipt if I went in the back and showed him some ID," DeAngelis said. "I just walked out. I thought the whole point was that the program was supposed to be anonymous."
Lt. Bob Donohue, commanding officer of the department's Community Outreach Bureau, said it's true that the department burned through the $15,000 in state grants it had set aside for the buy back program this weekend after about 95 guns were turned in - more than they ever expected. But he said people do not need to give their names to officers to get a receipt. If officers asked anyone for ID or a phone number, it was probably just so they could call them to let them know when additional gift cards have come in, he said.
He said additional Visa gift cards will be ordered tomorrow and should be in within about a week.
But DeAngelis wasn't the only person who said he was asked to identify himself.
A 42-year-old Port Jefferson Station woman, who asked that her name not be used for fear of repercussions, said she turned in seven illegal guns that had belonged to her father, who passed away 13 years ago. She said she balked when she was asked for her name and phone number.
"How is that anonymous?" she asked. "Anonymous is not 'Give us your name and number and in two weeks you'll get your gift card.' "
Nassau, which also held a gun buyback this weekend, also ran out of money after more than 400 people brought in illegal guns. After the cash they had on hand was gone, church officials who coordinated the program gave people anonymous vouchers that they can bring back this weekend for cash.
Donohue said Suffolk ran out of money by Sunday, but continued writing receipts through Tuesday. He said as of Tuesday night, people turning in illegal guns would not be given gift cards or get their guns back.
"If they hand us an illegal handgun and we have no money, we can't give back the gun," he said.
Copyright © 2008, Newsday Inc.
Suffolk runs out of cash for gun buyback program -- Newsday.com
BY ANN GIVENS
ann.givens@newsday.com
8:28 PM EST, December 23, 2008
Mark DeAngelis heard that Suffolk County was giving people $200 gift cards to turn in illegal handguns last weekend, so he looked behind a rafter in a warehouse he rents and found a revolver he stashed there 20 years ago, he said.
He called Suffolk's Third Precinct in Bay Shore, confirmed that they were still doing the program and then drove there and turned over the gun, he said.
But after he handed the gun to the officer, he said he got bad news: There was no money left.
"He basically said, 'You just gave me an illegal handgun. We're out of money. Do you have a problem with that?' " said DeAngelis, 43, of Patchogue, who said he bought the gun to get it out of the hands of a man he considered dangerous.
"He said he would give me a receipt if I went in the back and showed him some ID," DeAngelis said. "I just walked out. I thought the whole point was that the program was supposed to be anonymous."
Lt. Bob Donohue, commanding officer of the department's Community Outreach Bureau, said it's true that the department burned through the $15,000 in state grants it had set aside for the buy back program this weekend after about 95 guns were turned in - more than they ever expected. But he said people do not need to give their names to officers to get a receipt. If officers asked anyone for ID or a phone number, it was probably just so they could call them to let them know when additional gift cards have come in, he said.
He said additional Visa gift cards will be ordered tomorrow and should be in within about a week.
But DeAngelis wasn't the only person who said he was asked to identify himself.
A 42-year-old Port Jefferson Station woman, who asked that her name not be used for fear of repercussions, said she turned in seven illegal guns that had belonged to her father, who passed away 13 years ago. She said she balked when she was asked for her name and phone number.
"How is that anonymous?" she asked. "Anonymous is not 'Give us your name and number and in two weeks you'll get your gift card.' "
Nassau, which also held a gun buyback this weekend, also ran out of money after more than 400 people brought in illegal guns. After the cash they had on hand was gone, church officials who coordinated the program gave people anonymous vouchers that they can bring back this weekend for cash.
Donohue said Suffolk ran out of money by Sunday, but continued writing receipts through Tuesday. He said as of Tuesday night, people turning in illegal guns would not be given gift cards or get their guns back.
"If they hand us an illegal handgun and we have no money, we can't give back the gun," he said.
Copyright © 2008, Newsday Inc.
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