Getting guns off the streets

Re “Buying guns but not safety,” editorial, May 12

It has become common fodder for criticism when a law enforcement agency shows initiative and innovation, such as the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department’s and the L.A. Police Department’s Gifts for Guns programs, especially because they save lives.

Furthermore, it appears the standard of your editorial board is to criticize all good deeds that work.

The Gifts for Guns’ programs are, indeed, new, different and, yes, most effective. I know. I’ve been involved with guns for more than four decades.

So, we get criticized. That’s fine. Non-innovation or the status quo receive no criticism, especially those policies of the last century’s police culture.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but one life saved is enough for me to continue the program. And we will do so.

Nevertheless, thank you for the publicity.

Lee Baca

Los Angeles

The writer is sheriff of Los Angeles County.

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A perfect example of how The Times handles “slow news days” is to buzz the editorial group to grind out another gun-peril editorial. This time you attack the efforts to collect and turn in weapons.

The fact that most of the more than 200 million guns in this country exist and are not discharged at fellow humans is statistical evidence that this is not a real problem.

House intrusions and burglaries do not take place if perps know that the folks in the house have guns and will use them. This, of course, would make for slower news days.

Richard Jennings

Bakersfield

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Licensing and registration are the answer, not a wholesale ban, as The Times has advocated, and not the status quo. One side in this debate must acknowledge that private citizens are responsible enough to own guns, and the other side must acknowledge the public’s duty to regulate their ownership responsibly.

Ronald Webster

Long Beach