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Boulder Gun Buyback Program Called Off

BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4)- A gun buyback program in Boulder has been called off at the request of the Boulder County Sheriff.

Sheriff Joe Pelle said new state gun laws would make it too hard. He's specifically talking about the law that requires a person to undergo a $10 background check every time they buy or acquire a gun.

Pelle said it simply wasn't feasible to comply with the law in a parking lot where the buyback was scheduled to take place.

The buyback was organized by many of the same people who championed for the new laws in Colorado. They didn't expect that law they supported to counteract their efforts for a buyback.

"I think it's a really good idea. I think it's a good law. I think we're going to need to continue to tweak that law," said Together Colorado member Sheila Dierks.

Dierks is with Together Colorado, a multi-faith organization that sponsored the buyback event. It would have allowed gun owners to exchange their firearms for gift cards to Boulder businesses.

"We were doing essentially an anonymous, no questions asked opportunity to bring in a gun, turn it in, walk away with the gun gone," said Dierks.

The problem is the new law that requires a background check for every gun transfer.

"Well that really puts a crimp in the ability to purchase a number of weapons form a number of people," said Pelle.

Unlike many sheriffs in Colorado who are suing over the law, Pelle supports it but admits it is ironic that the law got in the way of a buyback.

"I think the background checks are serving a bigger good than the buyback program," said Pelle.

Organizers said they will work with legislators to amend the law. Their hope is to reschedule the buyback and gather enough guns to dismantle and create a peace sculpture.

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