GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Residents turned in nearly 300 firearms at Saturday’s Grand Rapids gun buyback event. The 285 firearms collected is twice as many than was turned-in during the City’s first two gun buyback events combined. In 2020, during its first two buyback events, SAFE and the GRPD collected a total of 267 firearms.
The 285 firearms included 151 handguns (87 semi-automatic and 64 revolvers) and 134 long guns (80 shotguns and 54 rifles). Two of the firearms turned-in were reported stolen, including one from the Grand Rapids Police Department back in 1982.
The third buyback program was sponsored by the Safe Alliances for Everyone (SAFE) Task Force and Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) as part of their ongoing efforts to reduce violent crime in the city. The event was funded through a $40,000 contribution from the SAFE Task Force. In exchange for each firearm turned in, residents received a gift card ranging from $100 for revolvers, shotguns and rifles to $200 for assault-type rifles and semi-automatic handguns.
“Our gun buyback programs are a proactive approach to reducing the number of unwanted firearms in our community,” Asante Cain, assistant to the city manager, said. “We are pleased to see so many firearms turned in. It reduces the potential for these to fall in the wrong hands and be used in a future crime or accidents. The SAFE Task Force was proud to partner with the Police Department in hosting this event and working towards our shared goal of ending gun violence.”
Original source can be found here.
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