Congresswoman pushes gun buyback expansion

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Democratic congresswoman Linda Sanchez is pushing for more federal money to prevent gun violence in Los Angeles. She wants to amp up the city's gun buyback program.

The gun buyback program in Los Angeles sucessfully took more than two thousand guns off the street last year. Linda Sanchez introduced legislation that would give local communities more money to buy back guns.

"There are a number of studies have been conducted that show getting a gun off the street does make our community safer whether it's through accidental shootings or it's through intentional gun violence, sadi Sanchez. "When you reduce the number of guns that are out of the street, you do increase safety in your community."

Sanchez said the gun buyback program provides people, especially those who do not know how to deal with the weapons, fiancial incentives to turn in their guns in exchange for a gift card that can be used for groceries. For example, a pre-paid Target card. The amount of money ranged from fifty dollars to three hundred and fifty dollars.

However, criminology and gun experts have doubts about buyback programs.

"Unfortunately, there is no good evidence that these buyback programs reduce rates of street crime in the U.S," said Jon Vernick, the co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research. "The most high rates people for being either the victims or the prepetrator of gun violence in the U.S. are young males. And overwhelmingly, young males don't participate in buybacks."

Sanchez also said buyback programs are not the sole answer to solve gun violence. But she thought at least, they are a part of the solution.

"We are not saying that this piece of legislation is the perfect answer to gun violence of our society. But it is one tool more in the officer's tool box to try to help to prevent intentional and unintentional gun violence," said Sancehz.

Under the proposed program, the department of justice would give grants to local communities. Then it's up to local agencies to get rid of the weapons.

"They do a lot of creative things. Sometiems they melted down for scrap metal. There is one city that melted down all the guns they recieved and created a sculpture in their community with it. So there are a number of things they can do with them. But they dispose them in a responsible manner," said Sanchez.

It is not only the gun buybacks. With more federal money, local communities can run gun safety and anti-violence campaigns as well.