A buyback program would provide a process whereby civilians can dispose of illicitly owned firearms without financial loss or risk of prosecution.
[citation needed] In many cases, buyback programs amount to compensation schemes following a change in law which prohibits the private ownership of certain classes of firearm.
Examples include the compensation scheme following the United Kingdom Offensive Weapons Act 2019,[1] and the 1996-97 National Firearms Buyback Program in Australia.
Examples include an anonymous donor funding buyback events in California following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
Both involved compensation paid to owners of firearms made illegal by gun law changes and surrendered to the government.
"[7] In May 2022, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a proposed ban of handguns and a buyback program, with compensation varying from around $1,300 to more than $6,000.
The study found "Comparing firearm-related events per month before and after the program, crimes and deaths increased, and injuries decreased, but the changes were not statistically significant.
"[17] In the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primary, candidates Cory Booker, Bernie Sanders, and Beto O'Rourke indicated support for gun buyback programs.
2455 and Arizona Revised Statute 12-945 were enacted after lobbying by the National Rifle Association of America and other organizations and require that firearms seized by, surrendered to or acquired by law enforcement or other government agencies may not be destroyed.
[19] On December 15, 2012, the day after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, an anonymous donor funded gun buyback events in Oakland and San Francisco.
One week later, it was learned that the event was largely funded by a medical marijuana dispensary, whose executive director said, "It's part of the philosophy we practice called capitalism with a conscience.
"[21] Started in 2009, an ongoing anonymous buyback program in Los Angeles offers retail gift cards in exchange for guns.
However, the city's already high gun homicide and assault rates actually increased during the program, for which police officials offered no explanation.
[24] At an August 2012 buyback, the Detroit Police Department paid $16,820 for 365 guns, including six assault weapons and a few sawed-off shotguns.
Hundreds of gun buyers showed up to the event seeking to offer cash for valuable antiques or functioning second hand firearms.
The lack of any need for background check in transactions involving private firearms sales turned the city sponsored event into an open air gun bazaar.
[32] Since then other cities have experienced similar situations, including private sales and/or local gun owners taking advantage of lucrative gift card offers to unload rusted or non-functioning firearms onto the police.