Hawaii News Now – KGMB and KHNL
The Honolulu Police Department has decided to demolish nearly a half-million dollars worth of fully functioning department-issued handguns.
The decision comes after the department has foregone the old Smith & Wesson 9mm in lieu of the more user-friendly Glock 17s. But instead of selling the S&W’s or repurposing them, the city plans to destroy them.
“Mayor Caldwell and the Honolulu Police Department agreed that they would not allow the guns to be sold to the general public and end up on the streets of Honolulu,” said the HPD. “The same goes for selling individual gun parts that could have been used to assemble a gun.”
Many of the HPD officers were willing to purchase their old handguns, but evidently the city didn’t even trust them enough to do that.
The city could have generated around $575,000 dollars had they sold the guns to the public, and nearly $345,000 had they sold them to the officers. But now the tax payers will instead be paying to have the guns destroyed.
Local news stations tried snapping a few photos of the Smith & Wessons, but the HPD refused, citing “security reasons.”
It’s unknown exactly how much it will cost to destroy the firearms or when they the destruction will take place.
(This article was submitted by freelance writer Brent Rogers)
These guns should be restored and certified to hand out to schools for officials who are qualified to use them.
hoplophobia and a good budget will always trump common sense and logic. When Government suffers from hoplophobia, outcome is always bad for the tax payers. For those who are not aware, Hawaii requires gun registration. You have to take all of your weapons to the police station once a year for a serial number check and registration. I’m from there but I won’t live there.
READ. Read the book , Glock the book, you might find it interesting who supported high capacity bans and why. A large amount of gun regulation comes from and is supported by some unlikely players.
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I really don’t care what the Honolulu PD does with the firearms. They are S&W autos, not collectable and not even that great of a handgun. The used gun market doesn’t need the inventory as evidenced by stable prices, and domestic firearms manufacturing benefits when new guns are purchased, not when old ones are re-sold.
I would definitely be upset if they were destroying vintage S&W revolvers, but maybe shot up and probably poorly maintained 9mm semi auto handguns by Smith and Wesson might be better recycled for the steel.
Wanna see how fast people can stop this kind of thing happening again. If you are upset by this, get the word out to every gun owner in your circle so that the word gets out. Then if a person is truly founded in their belief system they should not vacation there nor buy any products from there. Tourism I would bet is their largest tax base. Dry that up and they would have to do things like resale their old inventory.
I haven’t gone there is over 18 years and this is exactly I won’t because I won’t let my money go to a liberal leftist state. Look at how much the hotel tax is and other tourist derived income taxes. People should vote with their dollars and see how strong their convictions are.
They could just sell the lot to a mainland us distributor for resale like every other department does.
As a retired LEO with 32 years service, I find this act by HPD disgusting, especially the department’s statement regarding the sale of the Officer’s duty weapons back to them. This speaks volumes about how they don’t have their Officer’s ‘backs’. This along with that moronic liberal 9th. District appeal court judge dictated to my wife and me that we cancel our planned vacation trip to Hawaii next month. I won’t spend a dime there ever again…period!!
What did court have to do with you cancelling trip. I agree that they should sell to officers or a FF dealer.
Thank you, sir, for placing the integrity of your Oath, a Blood Oath of which God takes very, very seriously ( it’s in Genesis-but you know this already) and voting your character and honor before the self interest of personal pleasure.
I earnestly hope, and pray, that your many years of service to our Nation were/are guided by such a strong internal compass. Too often, especially these days, younger men and women to whom have taken up that Oath(both military and public service) do not heed the true seriousness of said Oath and how those to whom it is charged fail it, a little at first, yet more easy each time, until the Oath means nothing. Our oldest son was faced with such a dilemma as a member of a State Police Dept (I’ll refrain and leave it at that), and he simply told them he had to lay his head upon his pillow with a clean conscience and answer to God over it and he could not compromise the integrity of his vow, thus he submitted his resignation. That I should have been as much a man at that age as him! Our children aren’t perfect, but my wife and I prayed and worked hard to raise them to be better and stronger than we were. We are very proud of them. God has Blessed us far beyond the measure we deserve.
So, if no one else tells you today that they appreciate your service and integrity, please let it fall to me and mine. That is to all of you that walk that line, or have walked that line, on our behalf so that our families can rest more peacefully each night. It is not taken for granted across our thresholds. And it is too easy for many to compromise that Oath and do wrong. A stain by one is a stain unto all. All would do well to keep that to heart.
As to the guns, if they were 1006’s then they really ought to be saved and sold to dealers for public resale. They really belong to the public anyway, after so many instances of public abuse(most intentional) like Fast and Furious(when are we going to see people charged over that!?) and Yee’s gun running, along with others; the PD’s in Hawaii should allow their sale to put cash money back into the treasury. (Sorry for the book sized rant, just had to get it off my chest.)
So sad. One wonders why even a major metropolitan police agency should be so afraid. That is what it amounts to. Not political correctness or pressure from minority groups. Just fear. So sad.
When are we going to stop treating each other like children? When are we going to solve our social problems? Not with the current system. If we want a peaceful, healthy future, we have to remove the current criminally corrupt Federal gov’t. We have to stop warring with each other. Eventually, guns as a means of defense will be irrelevant (we have the tech to make them obsolete, but the greed mongers in power won’t release it). So when are you gonna get mad enough at these assholes in charge, and throw them out on their ear? Say NO to violence! No to hate! And NO to nanny state / endless war government! C’mon, Texas, don’t secede – overthrow!
Liberals are such ignorant scatter brained fools. In typical liberal speak, the Officers can’t be trusted to buy their old guns. What a bunch of fools. But don’t go downtown because you might step on a needle that had been used to inject ice, I guess that’s okay though. Idiots plain and simple.
It is strange that we live in a country with such vastly different principles when it comes to government. In one article, the police in the mid west have made the decision to sell several full automatic weapons to raise money to purchase duty weapons for its officers. And then in the next article I read in Hawaii the police are destroying their weapons instead of selling to raise money for the police…pension fund, health care, family support of slain officer, etc. etc. etc etc.
Agree. It blows my mind that they don’t even trust their own officers with the guns. I’m convinced that democrats are sociopaths: why else would they believe that if you hand someone a gun, they will go kill people with it? Seems like democrats should not be trusted if simply by giving them the means to kill someone, they will do it. It’s so frustrating… and wasteful!
I recently bought two used Detroit Police Department Smith & Wesson M&P’s .40’s with the interchangeable grips, night sights, and three mags each, in an original case for $309 ea. what a deal.
I’m also sure the people of Detroit saved a little money on the departments new firearms, what’s the difference between people who are legally allowed to purchase firearms purchasing them from the store, a friend, or from the Detroit Police Department?, I still had to fill out a federal firearms application for both of them.
The liberal left goes full idiot most of the time.
“Now you stop that right now young man! You stop that this instance! It cannot be allowed, it’s utterly absurd!!!!!!!” [hand wringing commences accompanied by stern, disapproving look on face”🙀
Actually you scored quite the deal,(yes, I’m jealous) how do they shoot?
Hey if Dog the Bounty Hunter dont need no gun, neither does anyone else
Another example of Liberal ignorance and waste, at tax payer expense. Cut the Police Force budget by half a million dollars next year and let’s see how smart they think this move was.
How much confidence can the officers possibly have in chieves like that? FOP and every other officers’ association need to get rid of them.
Hawaii is so ‘blue’ the ocean around it looks colorless in comparison.
Wonder what will happen when they find out their not pleased with the Glock 17’s. Not every law enforcement agency likes them. I know several that tried a limited amount of Glock’s on just a trial basis with other makes and the Glock was turned down.
Another thing is the waste of money by not allowing it’s own officers to purchase the S&W’s, plus the insult in not trusting their own officers.
Looks like another example of blind / foolish leadership.
The more experience with handguns one has, the longer it takes to get comfortable & proficient with Glocks. Especially the trigger. I had bought a G17 for my wife: it took me @ 4 yrs to stop complaining about the piece, and many was the time I wished that I had bought a steel-framed Taurus or Baretta. The light weight is a plus for a duty weapon, but I would opt for the .45acp variant. I have no idea why so many police departments buy a foreign-made pistol.
Last time I checked, Smyrna, Georgia was in the United States. That’s where Glock’s biggest factory is located.
I remember seeing or reading somewhere that said something like We the People, well it hasn’t been that for a long time and until we make it like that , people like this will keep on getting away with stupid stunts until we do . The people of that state should have the right to make a decision on matters like that , after all it does concern their own pocketbook. I know I sound like a crazy man. But this country needs to go back to its roots on some decisions and plain ol common sense !!!!
If they don’t need the over half-million dollars in their budget, perhaps we should reduce the budget by that much again.
And why do our (favorite?) arms companies keep selling to law enforcement agencies who take these kinds of stands? I remember hearing Gaston speak at a gun rights conference in Houston some years back and it seemed he was nearly brought to tears with the speech he gave about how important it was for America to never give up her gun rights as they had in Europe. Yet every few months we I read about some police force in anti-gun jurisdictions getting their new Glocks.
Ugh.
This is a very good point!
They are turning into another KALIFORNIA let them dump the guns into one of their volacanoes…….
One expect these criminal elitists to sell these surplus guns and steal the proceeds to line their own pockets.
This is what I think is happening. Criminals will pay more for the guns than cops will.
Commonsense is no longer common.
Especially with OUR money- with it they act like kings over us serfs ~!
I can’t imagine running a government so afraid if it’s constituents getting their hands on a weapon that they would just just throw away 1/2 million dollars.
I have never been to Honolulu, but it must the most dangerous place on earth. Those hero’s in city hall should be lauded for their stance, for there is no doubt that had one handgun gotten into somebody’s hands the whole city would erupt into a bloodbath.