The Hamden police collected 149 firearms in the town’s first-ever “gun buy-back” effort.
The buy-back took place Saturday at police headquarters.
Two of the 149 guns were assault weapons, according to police spokesman Capt. Ronald Smith. Police also collected 14 “pellet/bb gun/starter-type pistols.”
One person brought in a sword.
Participants received Amazon, American Express and Stop and Shop gift cards in returns. And those with valid gun permits were offered gun locks and vehicle gun safes.
Hamden modeled the buy-back on a similar program run by New Haven’s police department. Both departments work with Yale New Haven Hospital’s Injury and Violence Prevention Program.
The goal is to enable people to dispose of “unwanted firearms in a safe manner” and prevent them from being stolen, shot off accidentally, or used by self-harming individuals in despair, Smith stated.
I'm happy this was done. Lots of pessimistic comment prior and after the event, but how can you argue that getting guns out of anyone's hands is a bad thing? As mentioned in this brief article, the goal was achieved . Not all criminals will turn in their guns; not all gun owners are criminals. There are other good reasons to get them out of a household.