Six years after the state Legislature mandated that nearly all guns used in Kansas crimes be sold back to the public, the city of Wichita has become a substantial gun dealer, selling an average of about 400 firearms a year online — but receiving less than half of the proceeds. More than 2,000 firearms have been sold by City Hall since 2015, when it held its first gun sales in compliance with the state law that was passed a year earlier. The guns, seized from robberies, drive-by shootings, drug deals and myriad other offenses and investigations, are sold through an online auction site. Supporters say selling the guns is no different from disposing of any other surplus city property and safeguards are in place to ensure they’re only sold to law-abiding citizens through a licensed dealer. Opponents say local government shouldn’t be in the weapons business at all and that there’s no guarantee the guns won’t find their way back to the criminal element through private person-to-person sales and “straw purchases,” where potential buyers who can’t pass a background check enlist a friend with a cleaner record to take delivery.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
