U.S.A. -(Ammoland.com)- -Second Amendment supporters on the Internet are incensed about Benchmade Knives helping their local police department, the Oregon City P.D., destroy guns the department had in their custody.
The Oregon City Police Department posted an image on their Facebook page, showing the Police Department destroying guns with Benchmade equipment.
The image was reposted on the Benchmade page, to show that Benchmade was helping the local police. This created the impression that Benchmade approved of the needless destruction of firearms.
When Benchmade started to receive criticism from Second Amendment supporters, they posted this statement from the police:
The Oregon City PD Chief, Jim Band, and the City Mayor have since issued a more detailed statement.
In the second statement, the Police Chief and Mayor imply they have no choice but to destroy the firearms in their custody.
They never mention laws requiring the destruction of the guns turned in to them. They mention judges orders, which police are obligated to follow. But judges do not have authority to destroy guns that are not part of a crime adjudicated by the judge.
A clear policy is mentioned in the first statement Benchmade attributes to the PD:
“The Oregon City Police Department does not sell firearms.”
Most police departments in the United States do sell firearms. Several states have required police departments to do so, by law. Arizona is one of them. Does Oregon City P.D. destroy their duty firearms when they transfer to a new model? Oregon City has 44 sworn officers.
The reasons most police departments sell guns are clear:
Guns are valuable property. It is poor stewardship of the public trust to destroy valuable property without good reason. Destroying guns does not reduce the number of guns in circulation. It increases the sale of new guns. It does nothing to reduce demand. It only reduces the supply of used guns. It costs money and time.
There are numerous companies that will take used guns off the police chief’s hands and write a check in return.
If the guns *must* be destroyed, there are several companies who will legally destroy the receivers and sell the remainder for parts.
Again, they would write a check to the police department. The company does the destruction and provides proof of the destruction. The police do not have to spend money to do so or ask Benchmade for equipment to do so.
The destruction of guns is a political statement. It sends the message “Guns are bad.” That is what angers Second Amendment supporters. The police and city, and by implication Benchmade, are seen to be choosing sides in the struggle to restore the Second Amendment. They are seen to be choosing the wrong side.
What is the point of a police department destroying guns themselves and not selling the parts? What advantage exists, except to send a statement that guns are bad?
Before we assume the motives of the Chief Band and the Mayor, we should determine if some guns are sold (or traded, or exchanged).
If the destruction is highly selective, Second Amendment supporters will be willing to be nuanced in their response.
I reached out to Captain Shaun Davis of the Oregon City PD for answers to these questions. A phone transfer sent me to his voice mail. A reply has not be received by the time this article was submitted.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of constitutional carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and recently retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
Look at all the snowflakes below!
The Police HAD to destroy the guns because it is their policy to destroy the guns and they faithfully follow their policies because they are the Police. They explained this to the dumb,driven headcount that won’t buy Benchmade in the future.
There.
They made it all better.
Thanks for keeping us all up to date on this. I mentioned a torch in a comment on one of the earlier posts, I think what is actually in use in the photos is possibly a plasma cutter. There is definitely a cut off tool or grinder in the picture too. Regardless destruction is destruction. I agree parts could be sold or complete guns for that matter.
Benchmade using the cops to try and cover their butts for their actions. If the light hadn’t been shown on them, they would have continued to aid in anti-2nd Amendment actions, but now the light has been turned on them the roaches are running for cover. Chickenshit Benchmade will obviously do anything for publicity and to make a dollar.
Far worse than destroying guns is Benchmade’s support of the Progressive Left via donations. Benchmade is just as bad as Dick’s. They deserve to go bankrupt for being traitors to the Constitution and our liberty.
Looks like an angle grinder. I call Bullshit.
dont buy benchmadebybitchs
damn straight!
The only “specialized” equipment needed to destroy a gun is a metal cutting ‘chop saw’. Assuming the Oregon City public works dept. doesn’t have one, any machine shop would. Why go to Benchmade? I suspect that it was Benchmade’s idea to volunteer to do this work. Yes, this was a political message and Benchmade has made their bed with Democrat gun grabbers.
Everyone who has a benchmade knife should get together and make a YouTube video of there knives being cut up and destroyed. Because there knives could get loose and murder someone just like our guns get out of there gun safes on there own and murder. Those rouge guns as well as knives need to be destroyed
I have disposed of all my benchmade knives. They are dead to me
That looks like a beautiful SKS being cut up in that picture. I will never forgive Benchmade for such an atrocity.
As the Old Saying Goes ,
Taking a Knife to a Gun Fight !
The Knife Loses !
Now So Will the Knife Maker !
DUMB MOVE !!!
The citizens of Oregon need to send a statement via the ballot box at the next election. The judge that ruled that the guns be destroyed needs to not show his personel likes or dislikes about how he feels on this subject. He was an elected offical and he should have taken the tax payers into account of what it would have saved them. The money from a sale of said weapons to law abiding citizens would have helped paid for the trial for the guns taken away non law abiding citizens.Insteed we have the local taxpayers foot the bill.… Read more »
At a recent community event I was chatting with some officers involved in gun buy back programs. I mentioned one instance where I saw a Smith and Wesson performance center revolver on a table mixed in with junk guns. I told them how it’s a shame that collector pieces get destroyed with all the rest of the junk. That’s the moment three of the officers looked at each other, smiling, and one stated “Well….not necessarily.”
Another Dick’s
I think it is a sad day for Benchmade and the police department when they do this there are so many other options