Cincinnati wants to destroy used police weapons instead of returning them

The Cincinnati police no longer send used firearms back to the manufacturer Smith & Wesson, but instead destroy the weapons.

“Access to guns on our streets, both legal and illegal, contributes to the gun violence problem we see in our community,” said Mayor Aftab Pureval. “And the idea that we would send service weapons back to the manufacturer so that they could simply sell them and put them back on the streets seemed incompatible with our goals.”

RELATED: After mass shooting, gun policy is low on priority list at Ohio Statehouse

Pureval says Police Chief Teresa Theetge suggested ending the buyback program.

By trading in decommissioned weapons, the city received a discount on the purchase of officers’ firearms. Mayor Pureval proposed using $500,000 in the annual transmission budget to cover the cost of losing this rebate.

The City Council voted 8-0 Wednesday to approve the first portion of the transmission budget. In total, $65 million remained from the fiscal year that ended June 30.

RELATED: The City Council will have about $15 million left this year from the last budget

The regulation passed Wednesday includes replenishment of various reserve accounts for rainy days and one-time spending projects. The council still has about $15 million available for this year.