Leaders argue over Supreme Court decision on destroying guns
Apr 10, 2018, 3:03 PM | Updated: 3:41 pm
(AP Photo)
PHOENIX — Leaders in a southern Arizona city continue to argue over a Supreme Court decision outlawing the destruction of guns seized by the police.
As a result, 566 firearms including 13 semi-automatic-style rifles have been sold back to individual buyers since October.
According to the Arizona Daily Star, records by the city showed that the Tucson Police Department destroyed 4,820 guns that were either seized or turned in by residents, from 2013 through 2016.
A complaint filled in 2016 by state Rep. Mark Finchem (R-Oro Valley) stated that the government was destroying the guns, which he viewed as surplus property. According to Arizona law, the destruction of surplus property was illegal.
“The city of Tucson flagrantly violated state statutes and deprived the taxpayers of the opportunity to obtain fair-market value of a public asset,” wrote Finchem in the complaint.
Based on the court ruling, had the city continued to destroy the guns they could have faced sever financial penalties. Cities and towns in violation of the law would have half of their state revenue upheld, which for Tucson would have meant $57 million.
“The revenue we receive from these sales does not outweigh the risk of putting these weapons back on the street.” Mayor Jonathan Rothschild said.
“Several states and a number of cities are allowed to lawfully destroy firearms that have been lawfully forfeited as a result of a crime. And that public policy makes so much more sense than Arizona’s,” said Rothschild.
The city of Tucson was required to pay $100,000 in court fees, $15,000 more than what the auction of the guns generated.
A third-party vendor, Sierra Auctions, helped orchestrate the sale of the guns and was awarded a cut of the proceeds from the auction.
All buyers were required by federal law to have a federal firearms license, although city officials do not know who the individual buyers were. According to the article, most individuals with federal firearms licenses are usually gun dealers.