First county buyback collects 300 guns

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Hundreds of guns are now off the streets in Albuquerque after the reported success of Bernalillo County's first buy-back program.

But Saturday's event didn't come without controversy.

The program collected more than 300 firearms in exchange for $40,000 paid before the cash ran out in the first two hours.

Among the weapons people surrendered were boxes of pistols, seven assault weapons and a Street Sweeper, a shotgun with a drum-style magazine.

There also were two historic shotguns from the 1900s.

People could turn in their guns no questions asked under the program the county called Safe Surrender.

Participants were paid $100 for rifles and shotguns, $150 for handguns and $200 for high-powered assault weapons. 

That money came from the county's general fund.

"A lot of people brought in their guns," County Commissioner Debbie O'Malley said.  "We ran out of money and still people were coming in saying, 'I just want to get rid of it.  I want it out of my house."

For the first time in New Mexico protestors were seen outside the buyback.

But they weren't there just voicing their concerns.  Instead they offered a completely different deal buying some of the guns themselves.

"We're buying guns to keep them from being destroyed," said gun enthusiast Erik Rott.

Rott is part of group of private sellers who waited outside the gun buyback wanting to get their hands on some of the goods, keeping the guns on the streets and in hands of legal gun-owners.

The buyers said they don't think taking guns away is making anyone safer.

So at a time when prices for guns, like high powered assault rifles, are hitting an all time high, Rott and his group opened their wallets. Their gimmick: Their deal is better.

"We generally offer a little more than what they're offering at the county," Rott said. "What they're offering at the police station is a complete ripoff."

The county says many still turned over their guns without getting paid.

The private sellers say about a dozen people took them up on their offer of cash for guns.

All the guns will run through a national database to see if they were stolen or linked to a crime.
Then they'll be destroyed.

The historic guns could be turned over to museums.

The money for the buyback is from the county's general fund, and the county is looking for donations to continue buybacks.

The Santa Fe Police Department hosted its second gun buyback on Saturday collecting 224 weapons.  It gave away $22,000 in gift cards and over $7,000 worth of IOUs.