Mayor Daley is requesting more gun turn-in programs.  For what? I personally don’t feel that these programs work.  They sound good; they may even yield promising results on the day of the turn-in. But, being effective? I think not.  Allow me to share why I feel the way I do.

First, the people who are turning in guns are not the ones committing the homicides.

Second, killers will probably not turn them in because 1) their firearms are illegal 2) they have a police record or 3) they have not completed the job for which they purchased the gun in the first place.

Third, what is the point of these programs really?  Especially in Chicago.  This is a reactive solution to a problem that has been going on for a long time.  Why wasn’t anything done when it was first realized that there was a problem?  How many people died before authorities said, “Hey, I think we have a gun problem here?” And, what is the body count between the last turn-in and this one?

Also, according to news reports, most of the shootings lately have been gang-related – allegedly. Do authorities really think these people are turning in guns?  Ok, let’s say they do.  They will have another one as soon as they walk away with the rewards that are being offered.  Here’s a thought.  What if the rewards are being used in exchange for the next firearm?

Do gun turn-in programs really work? I don’t know.  But as far as I can see, they do not.