Sell your revolver. The government wants to buy it.
The Disarmament Campaign, starting on the 6th, will guarantee between R$100 and R$300 for those who hand over revolvers, pistols, and shotguns to the authorities.
Fernando Porfírio_247 – The federal government intends to destroy between 33,3 and 100 firearms by the end of the year, thus reducing urban and rural violence and the risks of a tragedy similar to the Realengo massacre on the 7th of this month. This is the goal of the Disarmament Campaign, which will begin on May 6th, according to a decision by the Disarmament Council this Monday afternoon. The compensation amounts remain the same as in previous initiatives, ranging from R$ 100 to R$ 300 depending on the type of weapon. The Ministry of Justice has allocated R$ 10 million for these compensations.
One of the new features of the campaign is confidentiality: those who hand in a weapon at the campaign's collection points will not need to provide personal data to receive compensation. In the past, citizens who returned a firearm had to provide personal information, such as their CPF number (Brazilian taxpayer ID) and bank account details, for the government to deposit the compensation. Now, upon handing in the weapon, they will receive a receipt to withdraw the amount at a Banco do Brasil branch or ATM.
By maintaining anonymity, the government hopes to receive more weapons compared to other campaigns, including illegal ones. "Our intention is not to know the origin of the weapon," said the National Secretary of Public Security, Regina Mikki, after the Disarmament Council meeting.
To ensure greater transparency in the campaign, weapons returned this year will be rendered unusable in front of the citizen, immediately. The council overseeing the campaign will still define how the destruction will be carried out. One of the most considered options is the use of a sledgehammer. "This will guarantee to the population that the weapon will not return to the streets for crime, as it will no longer be useful and will become scrap metal," said the executive secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Luiz Paulo Barreto, after a meeting of the council, composed of representatives from the federal government and civil society.
After being rendered unusable, the weapons will be sent to the Federal Police for complete disposal, which may be done by burning them in high-temperature industrial furnaces.
Delivery locations
Churches and non-governmental organizations will serve as weapons collection points in the Disarmament Campaign, in addition to Civil Police stations, Military Police battalions, the Fire Department, and Armed Forces units.
The Ministry of Justice will accredit churches and organizations that can receive the weapons. Each location will have a police presence. With the support of these entities, the federal government wants to facilitate the surrender of more weapons by Brazilians. "Any Brazilian can return their weapon and receive the due compensation, contributing to a safer Brazil," said the ministry's executive secretary, Luiz Paulo Barreto.
The list of authorized churches and organizations will be published on the ministry's website. At the collection point itself, the weapon will be rendered unusable – it will be broken with a sledgehammer, for example. The participation of these institutions in the national network for collecting weapons was defined today (18) at the first meeting of the council responsible for the campaign, made up of representatives of the federal government and civil society.