Humboldt Park Buy-back
I used to live in Humboldt Park (Division and Rockwell) before I moved out to Crystal Lake. I still go back to get some of the excellent Puerto Rican food, like Jibbaritos (Ham sandwich on plantains instead of bread), coco aveno (coconut oatmeal), and Puerto Rican Rotisserie Chicken, and visit some of my old neighbors (they still like boxing!!). While leaving my breakfast place this morning, I noticed the following sign in a window:
It offers a $125.00 dollar reward for every working firearm returned to the 14th District Police Station.
Legal questions aside (Do people turning them in have to have a FOID? If not, why are they exempt? Etc...), the sad thing is that this is well intentioned move probably won't get firearms out of the hands of the most ruthless gang members. (Coincidentally, the dividing line between the Latin Kings and Insane Disciples was Rockwell and Potomac, just one block north of where I lived!) The gangs have no incentive to turn guns in since they are, by definition, engaging in criminal behavior.
Gun buy-backs and amnesties don't work. Examine this quote from last year (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1868133/posts):
“One of the best crime-fighting strategies at our disposal is very simple — getting guns off our streets … and out of the hands of people who, unfortunately, would misuse them,” Daley said during a news conference at a Near North Side church."
I'm sorry, if that is "one of the best ... strategies" and Chicago is now observing an ever increasing death toll, then the solution that Chicago is proposing is obviously not working.
Posted 01:10PM May 28, 2008 by MCSA
