This morning's Northwest Herald carries an article about $75,000 worth of old guns and weapons in the possession of the Woodstock Police Department that were shipped to Rockford to be destroyed. The article said "there were 150 to 170 guns (why not use an exact number?) and an additional 200 knives, with a total value of about $75,000", some dating back to seizures in the 1970s.
Did the City of Woodstock pay to have these weapons destroyed? Or did the City give them to Behr Iron & Metal in Rockford for destruction, and Behr got the value of the scrap metal?
Why didn't the City consign them to a Federal Firearms Licensee for legal sale to the public?
If the few seized weapons couldn't be sold (there must be some way to get rid of evidence no longer needed), then why weren't seized weapons separated from turned-in weapons (however few of those there were)? And then just destroy the seized weapons.
Did anyone see action by the City Council to direct or allow the Police Department to dispose of $75,000 worth of weapons from its evidence room, just because a different use for the space is desired?
Woodstock is no safer because of the destruction of those guns, weapons and any memorabilia that might have been among them.
You never know who is interested…
3 months ago
2 comments:
I like the part about consigning the weapons and making some money, but I fear that most were probably involved in a court case where the Judge issued an order that the guns be destroyed. However, of those that were surrendered by their owners, I see no problem trying to make a buck for the city.
I am sure, or at least hope, that this is not the case here, but it is amazing how many innocent people are exonerated by DNA evidence at a later date, sometimes decades later.
I would imagine that there are many people from all walks of life praying that evidence is destroyed; knowing that if evidence is now subjected to DNA testing they may be caught and imprisoned.
Hopefully, this is not the case here but because a case is closed does not mean the "real" guilty person was punished.
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