Spokesperson: Since 2005, Tulsa Police Have Destroyed 8,000 Guns

The day after President Obama announced plans for stricter gun laws, News On 6 checked into what type of guns Tulsa Police often confiscate.

Thursday, January 17th 2013, 6:13 pm

By: News On 6


The day after President Obama announced plans for stricter gun laws, News On 6 checked into what type of guns Tulsa Police often confiscate.

TPD said it sees a slew of guns come into its property room each year.

Since 2005, police have destroyed about 8,000 guns.

When TPD confiscates a gun, it's brought to the secured property room.

"We have assault rifles, shotguns. We have handguns," Officer Leland Ashley said. "You name it, it's probably here in the property room or at least we've seen it."

TPD can't release how many guns they have here, but we did see at least four military-style assault rifles.

If Obama's gun control plan passes, the average person won't be able to legally get their hands on these types of weapons.

"Whatever the law boils down to, the final law, we will act accordingly," Ashley said.

Many of the guns in the property room were picked up during crimes or search warrants, and some were turned in because of the Sandy Hook school shooting.

"Right after one of the shootings, we had an elderly female decide that she didn't want her guns anymore, so she turned them in," Ashley said. "There's various ways that we come across guns through the course of the day."

In any given year, TPD destroys about 1,000 guns.

"It does show you that there are a lot of guns out there," Ashley said. "This is just a small number of guns that are out here in the city."

If police need forensic evidence from the guns, then they're kept in a box.

If not, the guns are left exposed in a locked room.

Guns used in crimes are stored for one year after a suspect is sentenced.

If it was used in a murder, then it is kept the entire time the suspect is in prison.

All others are only kept for 90 days.

"Every gun here, if it's not given back to the owner, it is destroyed," Ashley said.

If your gun is turned into Tulsa Police, you can get it back, but you have to go through a proper background check before they'll return it.

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