Hackensack, NJ – Officials from the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office today announced that more than 700 firearms were taken in over the weekend as part of the county’s first-ever Gun Buy Back initiative, which allowed individuals to anonymously surrender their unwanted firearms for cash.
“We’re very grateful this program was such a tremendous success,” Sheriff Leo P. McGuire said. “As a father and Bergen County resident, it gives me peace of mind to know we’ve done all we can to ensure the safety of our communities. The Sheriff’s Office will continue to use all the resources we have at our disposal, including partnering with clergy, to make Bergen County a safe and great place to live and raise a family.”
The two-day public safety initiative netted a total of 708 eligible firearms, including two assault weapons and scores of handguns, rifles and shotguns. Additionally, numerous boxes of ammunition, firecrackers, high-powered air pistols, several defaced weapons and a cross bow were also surrendered.
As children head back to school in the coming weeks, the Gun Buy Back was implemented as a proactive measure to improve the safety of local communities and households.
Over the two-day Gun Buy Back, a total of $47,550 was paid out to individuals. The program was paid for with money seized from drug dealers and took place at six places of worship conveniently located all across the county.
Individuals who surrendered their firearms were eligible to receive $50 for non-operational weapons; $75 for handguns, rifles and shotguns; and $150 for assault weapons. Complimentary trigger locks and gun safety information were also provided at each drop-off location for individuals with registered firearms.
The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office is the largest law enforcement agency in Bergen County. Comprised of more than 500 dedicated personnel, the Office’s responsibilities include a broad range of services and functions that assist the public, augment the county’s municipal police departments and safeguard Bergen’s judicial proceedings.
YWN PHOTO LINK: Click HERE for photos.
(YWN Desk – NYC)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
3 Responses
this whole thing is a farce the people turning in the guns are not the criminals they are say the old lady her husband died and she doesnt want his gun in the house anymore or some guy for what ever reason he has a gun with the serial number scratched out. so you have all these politicians who get to show off their face in the media what a great thing they did so they’ll get reelected in the meantime they accomplished zero
What do you call an unarmed resident of Bergen County? A future violent crime victim.
I urge everybody to see the documentary “Innocents Betrayed.” Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, etc., did one thing before they started their vicious, murderous attacks on their citizenry: They took away their guns.