NYPD Sponsors Gun Buyback Program At Evergreen Baptist Church In Brooklyn
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Men and women turned in guns on Saturday during a day-long buyback program sponsored by the NYPD and the DA's office.
One man told WCBS 880's Sophia Hall that he felt it was necessary to turn in his handgun.
"I'm a senior citizen," the man told Hall. "I had this thing a long time. I'm thinking, 'If something happened to me today or tomorrow, it still could possibly fall into the wrong hands.' So I said my best bet is to do the right thing and get rid of it."
WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reports
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No questions were asked of those giving the firearms back.
Authorities are giving $200 for every handgun and $20 for every rifle. The gun buyback is taking place in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn at the Evergreen Baptist Church.
"Frequently, it's young people who are getting these guns," Pastor Gary Frost said. "There are two problems. First of all, they shouldn't have the guns. But second of all, they're not marksmen. They don't know how to use the guns. As a pastor of a church, unfortunately I've had to deal with the consequences of homicides and shootings. It's really created, within me, a passion to see these guns off the street."
Gun owners can turn in their handguns 24 hours a day, seven days a week at any NYPD precinct, according to Hall. The financial reward is normally $100 as opposed to $200, but it always remains anonymous.
The gun buyback event concluded at 4 p.m. and netted 40 revolvers, 28 semi-automatics, 9 rifles, 2 shotguns, 1 assault rifle, and 5 other unspecified weapons. among the returned weapons were a Ruger AR mini-14 assault rifle, and a Tec-9 semi-automatic. Seven of the guns that were returned were loaded.
Have you ever attended one of these events? What is the turnout and the scene like? Offer your stories and experiences in the comments section below...
