Does it make sense to destroy guns?

Here in Chicago, reporter Rob Wilderboer found a compelling story last week:

The Chicago Police Department throws out about $2 million every year. It’s money that is forfeited by the city when police destroy the guns they seize rather than sell them to licensed firearms dealers. The decision is made for emotional, political and ideological reasons.

Wilderboer sets it up as a simple choice: money for the CPD/other City services? Or the satisfaction of destroying weapons, even though manufacturers are more than happy to replace them with new ones in the supply chain? Only emotions, politics and ideology would cause anyone to choose the latter.