ST. LOUIS — St. Louis police are dropping the popular gun buyback program.
The Police Board voted Wednesday to strip funding for the program that was aimed at reducing the number of guns on the streets. Police bought back nearly 540 guns last year, no questions asked. But opponents point to this year's increasing murder rate and say the money could be better spent elsewhere in the department.
Board president Chris Goodson says he is open to the idea of using private funds for the program, if those funds are made available.