Gun Buyback in Kingston, New York a Huge Success
A weekend community gun buyback event in Kingston, NY had tremendous results!
Earlier this month we shared that law enforcement agencies in Kingston, along with New York Attorney General Letitia James were preparing to host a community gun buyback event on May 18th. At the time of the announcement, it was the first gun buyback in the state this year with all involved hoping to take as many guns off Ulster County streets as possible.
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In an effort to secure as many firearms as possible gun buyback events similar to this offer anyone the chance to turn in a working or nonworking firearm with no questions asked for pre-paid gift cards. The amounts of available gift cards vary based on the type of gun being turned in with assault rifles and ghost guns having the highest amount at $500 each.
Kingston, NY Gun Buyback Takes Guns Off Streets
This year's gun buyback took place on Saturday at the Andy Murphy Midtown Neighborhood Center located at 467 Broadway in Kingston, NY from 10 a.m. through 1 p.m. and in just over three hours 125+ firearms were turned in according to the Office of the Attorney General. A total of 134 various firearms including 24 assault weapons, 76 handguns, and 18 long guns were safely turned over to law enforcement officials on Saturday, as ongoing efforts to combat gun violence and keep New Yorkers safe continue.
Many public officials were happy with the results this year including Kingston Mayor Steve Noble who said,
"We are pleased with the collection from this year’s gun buyback program, as we know that removing any firearm from the community has the potential to save lives."
Senator Michelle Hinchey said,
"Gun buyback events create a trusted space for people to responsibly remove their unwanted guns from circulation, ultimately helping to prevent gun violence. I'm grateful to Attorney General Letitia James and the City of Kingston Police Department for bringing this event to Kingston. We will continue to use every tool in our toolbox to make Kingston and New York a safer place for everyone."
To date, Attorney General James has removed more than 7,200 guns from New York state since taking office in 2019.
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