GOUtah!
White Paper #11

GOUtah! Suggests Informed Decisions and Economic Alternatives to the Latest Salt Lake City Gun Turn-In and Destruction Program

As a broad-based network of responsible firearms owners in Utah, we are concerned that the upcoming Gun Turn-In and Destruction Program to be conducted by Salt Lake City from 3-13 August 1999 may not be in the best interests of either the individual firearm owner or the public at large.

First, the firearms to be turned in will likely come from otherwise peaceable citizens, who pose no threat to the safety or security of the community. GOUtah! suggests that before anyone gives up their firearm without any compensation to the government for destruction, they first take it to a licensed firearms dealer for an appraisal of its current value. Many firearms, even those which are old, have been well used or even inoperable may still have a substantial dollar value to collectors, hunters, target shooters and other legitimate users of firearms. The licensed dealer will be able to give you a value of the firearm, and may even offer to purchase it from you or place it on consignment sale in their place of business. Licensed gun dealers city-wide are listed in the yellow pages of the telephone directory under “Guns.”

Another legitimate concern is the “No Questions” approach to this gun turn-in program. This may have the effect of allowing a significant piece of evidence to be destroyed without any attempt to identify or apprehend the criminal. Also, under Utah law 76-10-525, all law enforcement agencies in the state are required to determine the true owner of any recovered weapon and promptly return it to them. There is no indication as yet that the Salt Lake City program will obey this law, and thus many innocent individuals who have had their firearms stolen would then also have their property destroyed without compensation by the government, all in order to make a dubious political or social statement.