MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Tacoma gun drop boxes could be first in the nation

Sep 1, 2015, 11:14 AM | Updated: 12:48 pm

Guns turned in to police are usually disposed of by melting them down, such as with this collection...

Guns turned in to police are usually disposed of by melting them down, such as with this collection in California. (AP)

(AP)

Tacoma wants people to drop off their guns like library books.

The City of Tacoma is crafting a new program that would place firearm drop boxes in neighborhoods, away from police presence, in hopes of encouraging people, particularly youth, to anonymously turn in guns.

“It takes out the up-front interaction with law enforcement,” said Melissa Cordeiro, gang reduction project coordinator for Tacoma.

People can already turn in guns to police. Firearms can be dropped off at the station or police can be called to pick them up, anonymously in many cases.

Seattle City Council approves $25 gun tax, regulations

If successful, the gun drop-off box would be the first of its kind in the country, Cordeiro said.

“They would just have to drop the gun off and later law enforcement would swing by and pick it up out of the drop box,” she told KIRO Radio.

The city is investigating how to successfully operate the program. It is trying to find locations away from police intervention, to encourage people wary of law enforcement to turn the guns in. At the same time, it wants to place them in areas that won’t cause a disturbance.

“It’s definitely something that is controlled access and one way,” Cordeiro said. “You can put something in, but you can’t take something out.”

Tom and Curley imagine how Tacoma came up with the idea for a gun drop box

The boxes need to be big enough to take in a hand gun and even a rifle, but still deny access to anyone who might want to take the firearm out.

“We want to make sure that it is in a safe enough location but also that police are involved,” Cordeiro said.

“We don’t want to make this a target location for rival gang members or for somebody trying to steal a weapon off the street,” she said.

MyNorthwest News

Digital...

Micki Gamez

How parents can help prevent children from falling victim to online sex crimes

Chances are, if your teen has a cell phone or tablet, they either know someone or they have been the victim of an online sex crime because kids as young as seven are online more than ever. My interest in this story began almost the same time last year when my daughter came home and […]

3 hours ago

Pierce County Jail...

Bill Kaczaraba

Pierce County Corrections chief at odds with the employee guild

The Corrections Bureau's Guild has issued Patti Jackson a vote of 'no confidence,' as reported by The Tacoma News Tribune.

5 hours ago

Image: A Seattle Police Department vehicle seen during the day...

Sam Campbell

Security guard stabbed, suspect barricades inside Beacon Hill apartment

SWAT officers surrounded a complex in Seattle's Beacon Hill neighborhood after police said a man stabbed a guard barricaded himself inside.

7 hours ago

seattle indecent exposure...

Frank Sumrall

Seattle man arrested for 14 counts of indecent exposure, most near schools

A 34-year-old man was arrested by Seattle police (SPD) in connection to 14 counts of indecent exposure near Lake Forest Park.

7 hours ago

Federal Way shootings...

Bill Kaczaraba

Federal Way Police say two shootings are related

Police believe two shootings in Federal Way are related.

9 hours ago

Mulitple I-5 lanes shut down...

Frank Sumrall

I-5 open after person ran around ‘throwing traffic barrels’ on highway

Interstate 5 (I-5) opens after an incident involving a person running around forced multiple lanes to close just south of Madison Street.

11 hours ago

Tacoma gun drop boxes could be first in the nation