Debatable: Do gun buyback programs really work?

By Robert Gutsche Jr

Saturday, August 20, 2005 2:04 AM CDT

RACINE - Today, community leaders are trying something new: Get money for your guns and get them off the street.

But do gun buyback programs really work? No one can say for sure.

More than 11 people have been murdered this year in Racine - six of those victims died in events related to gang violence. Murders are also up in Milwaukee, where at least 84 people have been murdered this year. Troubled by the crime in both cities, one Milwaukee alderman has worked with Racine officials to start today's gun program here.

News coming today An announcement will be made about when and where the event will be at 2 p.m. today at the Project New Life office, 1801 Douglas Ave. in Racine. The event is open to the public.

Pastor Elliot Cohen, who leads the Project New Life homeless program and is working on the buyback program, said the project will help the community.

"One less gun on the street means the potential of one less loss of a life or a limb or an accident," he said. "So from that perspective it absolutely works. If there was no gun involved in the triple homicide (on July 17 in Racine's Uptown), my deacon's son would still be alive today."

Questions on results But others aren't so sure about how well the program will work at reducing street crimes." There's varying opinions on whether they are effective or not," said Racine Sgt. Bill Macemon. "We are going to support any effort that the community wants to put forward on a gun buyback," though "you get people who are illegally owning guns and they turn them in, but those aren't the guns that are contributing to the violence on the street."

Racine had a gun buyback program in the 1990s, Macemon said, but it wasn't successful in stopping the gun crimes. "We did get some guns, but we didn't see any reduction in violence because of it," he said.

More than just buying Cohen said this program being announced today includes more than just buying guns. In addition to using donations to buy the weapons, funds will also be used to help people purchase gun locks and help businesses get started and for people to receive job training.

Jeanette Brown, youth and family program director for the city's YMCA, said she said the buyback will help, but it takes more than just getting guns off the street.

"The program is one part of the solution," she said. "Taking guns off the street may provide a small reduction in the violence. Overall, I think that prevention and education are the tools that we need to be using to be able to promote the reduction of violence and maintaining a safer community."

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