Viva Rio: more than 850 guns handed in voluntarily

Viva Rio's collection post received 851 weapons, including handguns and pistols, in addition to rifles. .38 caliber weapons were the most common (42%), followed by .32 (23%), .22 (14%) and .380 (7%). Taurus is the most common brand (40%), followed by Rossi (22%), Smith Wesson (9%), CBC (3%) and Beretta (3%). Seventy-three percent are locally manufactured, 23% are foreign, and 5% were of unknown origin.

Viva Rio compared this data with that obtained from a Viva Rio study on illegal guns seized by police in Rio de Janeiro between 1998 and 2008.

The comparison yielded interesting results: the general profile is similar. The characteristics of weapons in circulation among law-abiding citizens, so to speak, and criminals are not very different. In both cases, the most common revolver is caliber .38 and most weapons were produced domestically.

There are some major differences between weapons owned by criminals and law-abiding citizens: criminal-possessed weapons are more likely to have been manufactured for military use (3%); none of these weapons have appeared at the volunteer collection post; weapons seized from criminals have a higher proportion of handguns and hunting rifles, and a wider range of sizes.

Viva Rio analyzed information on those who voluntarily handed in their weapons, and found the following: the majority of those turning in arms are men (68%), 87% are over 40, with the largest group being over 60 years (44%). 

Those who turn in weapons also tend to be educated: only 2% have not completed primary education, 45% have some level of secondary education, and 53% have 14 or more years of study. They are middle class: 71% enjoy a household income above six times the minimum wage, 36% earn below 5 times minimum wage, but 35% earn 11 or more times minimum wage.

The weapons are being destroyed upon delivery to avoid risk of diversion. The campaign guarantees the anonymity and compensation to all who surrender weapons for legal and illegal weapons.

Those who surrender weapons receive vouchers for compensation, worth $100 to $300, depending on the type of weapon, which can be cashed at any branch of Banco do Brasil after 24 hours. This new development represents an improvement over the 2004 campaign, when there was a wait of up to three months for repayment and a CPF was required.

Improving upon the 2004­–2005 Disarmament Campaign

In 2004–2005, the Ministry of Justice hosted the first voluntary disarmament campaign, collecting nearly 500,000 weapons with the participation of NGOs and churches. According to the Ministry of Health, the withdrawal of half a million weapons, coupled with the ban on carrying weapons on the street, resulted in an 11% reduction in the number of homicides by firearms in the country in just five years. This impressive result prompted the Federal Government to carry out this new campaign, which starts now and will continue through year's end.

The 2011 National Voluntary Disarmament Campaign will do more to facilitate the delivery of weapons and ammunition. In addition to payment after 24 hours without requiring the CPF, ensuring total anonymity, state police, municipal guards and army barracks will play a larger role receiving arms. Civil society will be more involved, through churches, NGOs, Freemasonry, OAB and other charities and human rights organizations that will be accredited by the Federal Police to open collection posts. The aim is for a collection post to be set up in every neighborhood.

Another innovation will be the destruction of all weapons upon delivery, to avoid risk of diversion. In the previous campaign, only the churches and NGOs destroyed donated weapons. Now, police will also destroy weapons. The destruction and prevention of diversion also provides security to civilian collection posts, which are often located in high-risk areas.

Civic participation and referendum results

The 2011 National Voluntary Disarmament Campaign, with the participation of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (Catholic), National Council of Christian Churches (CONIC), Grand Orient of Brazil (Masonry), the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) and Brazilian Disarmament Network, brings together 70 NGOs that fight for disarmament and the implementation of the Disarmament Statute.

The Brazilian Disarmament Network voiced its opposition to holding another referendum on banning the trade in arms and ammunition to civilians, saying that the decision of the voters against the ban in 2005 should be respected. It said that the best way to respond to the Realengo school shooting is to ensure the implementation of the Disarmament Statute, the law considered one of the best in the world, but, according to the network, "remains mostly on paper."

According to Viva Rio, a member of the network, the massacre was made possible by the ease with which the killer acquired the weapons and ammunition: one had been stolen from a residence, and it is exactly this type of theft that promotes crime.

In 2003 alone, 27,000 guns were stolen from homes in Brazil, according to the Federal Police. Although the arms control law is very good, it is not properly implemented, and, according to Viva Rio's Arms Control coordinator, Antonio Rangel Bandeira, weapons and ammunition are being sold in stores that accept false mental health and gun safety certificates, and the transport of arms by private security companies are not adequately monitored.

"In the absence of adequate control, as required by law, it is as easy to acquire weapons and ammunition in the legal trade as the illegal trade. Working so that the Disarmament Statute is complied is the best way to prevent tragedies like the Realengo school shooting from recurring, "concludes Rangel.

Evaluation on arms turned at Viva Rio

Translated by Danielle Renwick