ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — As part of comprehensive efforts to reduce gun violence, acting Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck recently announced gun buyback events to be held simultaneously in locations in Passaic, Essex and Atlantic counties.
These events are being held in partnership with Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes, acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II and acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Cary Shill.
The locally and state-sponsored “Guns for Cash” events will be held on Saturday, Aug. 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at: Gilmore Memorial Tabernacle, 68 Bishop Clarence Gilmore Boulevard in Paterson; St. Luke’s Baptist Church, 139 Carroll St. in Paterson; New Vision Baptist Church, 100 Warrington Place in East Orange; the Prudential Center, 25 Lafayette St. in Newark; and Atlantic City Fire Station No. 1, 900 Atlantic Ave. in Atlantic City.
Residents can turn in firearms with no questions asked, and receive as much as $250 per weapon. Police officers will be stationed at each buyback location to collect and secure the guns. The gun buyback initiative is funded with forfeiture dollars obtained by the local police departments and county prosecutors’ offices, as well as forfeiture funds from the Division of Criminal Justice.
“We are taking every step possible to combat the rise in gun violence across our state,” Gov. Phil Murphy said. “With this no-questions-asked gun buyback initiative, we hope to reach the communities that have been most devastated by gun violence. We are committed to building a safer future in New Jersey.”
“The rise in shootings across our country and throughout our state is deeply painful, and our office is deploying all available tools to attack the problem from every possible angle,” Bruck said. “This buyback initiative is part of our broad-based, ongoing efforts to stop the violence in our communities and save lives by reducing the number of firearms in circulation. There are too many illegal guns on the street and too many people impacted by the trauma of gun violence, and I urge residents to help make their homes and their neighborhoods safer by participating in these gun buyback programs.”
“The public should be assured that this gun buyback program has nothing to do with infringing on the rights of lawful gun owners,” Stephens said. “To be clear, the key purpose of this initiative is to reduce the number of illegal and unwanted guns in households and prevent them from being used in a potentially dangerous manner. Fewer guns available will have a direct effect on making our streets safer.”
“The right to bear arms should be done with care and responsibility, and in compliance with the law,” Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said. “However, we must get illegal and unwanted guns out of communities, specifically as we deal with a national rise in gun violence. Important initiatives like this gun buyback program coupled with alternative violence reduction initiatives will reduce the needless tragedies that guns can create and save countless lives. This is truly a collective effort with our state and county law enforcement partners, and key organizations. It is critical in removing dangerous weapons from homes and off our streets.”
“Every gun that we are able to get out of the wrong hands and off the streets is a win for everyone,” East Orange Mayor Ted R. Green said. “Public safety has always been my administration’s top priority and this gun buyback program means a safer city for our residents and our officers.”
“So far this year, Newark police have removed nearly 400 illegal guns from our streets, as gun recoveries in Newark are up 63 percent year-to-date,” Newark Public Safety Director Brian O’Hara said. “Every gun taken off the street is potentially a life saved.”
“The detrimental effects of guns in our community continue to ripple at every level. For years, we have been working diligently with our law enforcement agencies and community partners to get guns off the street,” East Orange Police Chief Phyllis Bindi said. “This ‘Guns for Cash’ event is an aggressive step in the right direction and it’s absolutely a necessary component, in a broader plan, to ensure the safety of the people we protect and serve.”
Residents with questions about the buyback effort can call the attorney general’s Office of Constituent Services at 609-984-5828 or visit www.njoag.gov/gunbuyback/.
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