Want a New Laptop? Just Hand in Your Gun to Miami-Dade Police

"No name, no ID, no questions."

July 19, 2024

Miami-Dade police are hosting a gun trade-in event on July 27, 2024. Screenshot via X

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With gun deaths near an all-time high in the United States, police departments are trying to get creative to curb the violence.

The Miami-Dade Police Department is holding a "Computers for Guns" event on Saturday, July 27, where people can trade in a gun for a new laptop and gift card. Qualifying families will receive reduced internet costs.

"No name, no ID, no questions," the department posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. "This will be an impactful community-oriented day filled with activities, giveaways, free food, and refreshments. We hope to see you on Saturday, July 27, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Oak Grove Park."

COMPUTERS FOR GUNS 💻: Join us, @MayorDaniella, and our community partners for our Computers For Guns event. During this event, you will be able to exchange a firearm for a new laptop and a gift card. No name, no ID, no questions. This will be an impactful community-oriented day… pic.twitter.com/oyJtXAp4tV
— Miami-Dade Police (@MiamiDadePD) July 17, 2024

Gun buyback and trade-in programs are common in cities in Florida and around the country as a means to reduce community firearm stocks in hopes of reducing gun deaths.

Last year, the Orange County Sheriff's Office in Central Florida hosted a gun trade-in event in Pine Hills, where an elementary school student, a 38-year-old woman, and a local news reporter had been murdered in a 2023 shooting spree. The sheriff's office offered $50 gift cards for residents who opted to hand over their firearms.

In the summer of 2022, Miami carried out a buyback program in which the city arranged for firearms turned in by residents to be shipped to Ukraine to aid in the war effort.

Baltimore once hosted a "Stop Shooting, Start Coding" event that allowed people to exchange a gun for a refurbished Dell laptop and IT training courses. More than 50 guns were traded in.

Gun safety groups estimate that there are more than 350 million guns in civilian circulation in the U.S. Nearly a third of respondents in a Pew Research survey said they own a firearm, with the majority citing personal protection as their primary reason for gun ownership.

Naomi Feinstein is a staff writer of Miami New Times where she primarily focuses on news. Naomi started her career with New Times as a summer intern in 2019, then returned as a fellow in August 2022 before joining the staff full-time in February 2023. She graduated from University of Miami where she contributed to the student-run newspaper, the Miami Hurricane. She holds a master’s degree and graduated with honors from the Columbia School of Journalism. In 2021, Naomi was recognized as the College Journalist of the Year from the Society of Professional Journalists of Florida, and she placed second for Best General News Story in the 2021 Pinnacle Awards.

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