City Council says gun buyback is no cure-all, but ‘it can’t do harm’

Read the Daily Progress article HERE.

Full statement made to the Daily Progress:

If the city does move forward with a buyback program, we cannot stop there. We still have to get at the root causes of gun violence, like housing/job/food insecurity, and push for after school activities and mentorship programs that have proven to be effective in reducing gun violence, especially among youths.

I know buybacks are a policy that’s not supported by Moms Demand Action since the data suggest they are not as effective as most advocates want them to be. A lot of the benefits touted are the general safety awareness that goes along with buyback campaigns, and the ability to hand out free gun locks and safety equipment. I certainly agree with making safety equipment more freely available and would easily support funding that.

Obviously I want to protect folks and decrease gun violence. We need to make sure the decisions we make are backed by strong data that prove effectiveness, not just generates positive feelings.

-Natalie