On Feb. 18, Dover Police arrested a 45-year-old man for Possession of a Destructive Weapon— specifically, an AR-15 outfitted with a bump stock attachment to make it fire like an automatic.
According to the Delaware Criminal Justice Information System, that bump stock arrest was the first since Delaware’s ban on the accessories became law last June.
Some activities surrounding bump stocks, like sale or purchase, became illegal in Delaware when the bill was signed. The ban on possession went into effect in October.
The state held buyback programs last fall. According to Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security data, the state collected 35 stocks, 1 trigger crank and 120 homemade devices.
Reimbursing owners cost the state several hundred dollars. A total of $15,000 were set aside this fiscal year for the buybacks.
Both Maryland and New Jersey also have state-level bump stock bans.
Earlier this week a federal judge allowed the Trump administration’s ban on bump stocks to go forward. It is set to take effect at the end of March.