(Photo by Thomas Def on Unsplash)
Dec. 2, 2020 By Allie Griffin
The Queens District Attorney’s Office will offer cash to residents who forfeit guns during a gun buy-back event in Astoria Saturday.
Residents with firearms are invited to turn them in and remain completely anonymous— no questions asked.
The event comes at a time when shootings are up in New York City and across Queens.
In Patrol Borough Queens North — which covers precincts in the northern half of the borough from Astoria to Flushing — there were 60 reporting shootings for the year through Nov. 20, up from 39 for the same period a year ago.
There were 24 shootings in the 114th Precinct–which covers Astoria–for the year through Nov. 20, twice as many as the same period in 2019.
DA Melinda Katz said Saturday’s event could help prevent future shootings.
“Every gun turned in this Saturday is a potential tragedy averted,” Katz said in a statement. “This is the public’s opportunity to help us put a stop to bloodshed by turning in firearms.”
?Alert? PBQN is having a Gun Buy Back event on Saturday Dec 5, 2020
in the confines of the 114th Pct. Receive cash ? for guns no questions asked! pic.twitter.com/6aEKMLTg6N— NYPD Queens North (@NYPDQueensNorth) November 25, 2020
The event will be held at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, located at 23-20 Newtown Ave., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The District Attorney’s office, in partnership with the NYPD, will offer a $200 bank card for each operable handgun turned in and a $25 bank card for BB guns, air pistols, rifles and shotguns released. The bank cards can be used as a debit card for purchases or used to withdraw cash at ATMs.
There is a limit of three $200 bank cards per person, but participants can hand over as many guns as they would like.
Participants are required to bring their gun–unloaded–in a paper/plastic bag or shoe box to the church location. If transported by car, the gun must be in the trunk of the vehicle.
Firearms from gun dealers and active or retired law enforcement officials will not be accepted.
This event is being co-sponsored by Bishop Mitchell G. Taylor of the Center of Hope International (COHI), as well as the Community Church of Astoria and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church.
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10 Comments
I’ve heard that Italian Mob and MS-13 issued a joint press release today where they expressed gratitude to Mayor DiBlasio and the Queens NYPD for this well-thought-out proposition. They mention that, through they sale of firearms that cost them pennies on a dollar, they have been able to raise tens of millions of dollar and were able to stop any other illegal activities, as they are, i quote, “set for life.” They raised questions as to why no one before Mayor DiBlasio thought about gun buyback as an effective tool to bring crime down and recommended that he be nominated to Nobel Peace Price. Praising the success of the gun buyback program, they suggested similarly-themed future events, such as heroin buyback and cash-for-rackateering tax credit program.
Imagine during prohibition the police creating programs like this to turn in alcohol. What a joke.
I just hope they follow social distance guidelines.
too funny. who in their right mind would give up their gun when cops do nothing and thug violence is skyrocketing?
In other news, Cannabis prohibition is up for vote again in Congress.
Lets see what curbs criminality to a greater degree…
Apparently it passed…but it is purely symbolic. It was for de-criminilization, not the end of prohibition. So basically, it would still go on your ‘record’.
Also symbolic in that the Senate most likely will not approve it.
What a great idea, asking criminals “Please don’t do crime anymore, pretty please, and please bring your guns to us” So you can steal another. Bring back stop and frisk.
Guest -You need to get yourself informed. I’ve worked several gun buy backs when I was on the job and you’re buying into rumors and misconceptions, you may want to check your news sources. Just from my experiences with these types of programs, the people bringing in these guns are not always criminals or perps. I’ve had a mother who found a gun among her dead gangster sons personal property. I logged in guns from the siblings and even roommates of people who were sentenced to prison. We received guns from girlfriends who were asked to hold guns for boyfriends. The list goes on.
Only a 12% arrest rate. It’s a shame you don’t support effective policing.
hilarious that you think that. but no. its not illegal to own a gun in nyc. anyone who is 21 years old or above and has American citizenship can buy a gun in nyc. it takes 6 months to get a permit from the NYPD.