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Mayor Brown's Gun Buyback Program Set for Saturday

Source/Contact
Office of the Mayor
Peter K. Cutler
Director of Communications
716-851-4841

No Questions Asked, Cash Cards for Guns

BUFFALO – Mayor Byron W. Brown’s “No Questions Asked” Gun Buyback Program is ready to take place this Saturday, June 2nd from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at seven drop-off sites across Buffalo.

“This effort, as I have stated many times, is only one tactic to help rid our streets of illegal guns,” said Mayor Brown. “Already, six illegal guns have been turned in at one of the drop-off locations, so I am hopeful that more residents will come forward on Saturday and turn in any illegal guns they may have in their possession and then receive, no questions asked, a cash card. I encourage all city residents to take advantage of this unique opportunity to help remove illegal guns from their homes.”

The overall effort is being financed by $30,000 in asset forfeiture funds that have been acquired by the city through the seizure of monies from illegal drug and other criminal activities in Buffalo, as well as a $10,000 contribution from the Erie County Medical Center, which was presented to Mayor Brown by ECMC CEO Michael Young on February 15, 2007.

Buffalo’s program is modeled after several other cities successful gun buyback efforts, particularly the City of Chicago that in two different one-day gun buybacks retrieved over 4,200 guns.

This initiative is one of several anti-crime measures being implemented throughout the city, including the Buffalo Police Department’s Mobile Response Unit, which was launched on January 14th.

Last year the Buffalo Police Department took 1,000 illegal guns off the streets of Buffalo and this new program will work to support that activity.

Buffalo Police Commissioner H. McCarthy Gipson stated, "Violent crime continues to go down in the City of Buffalo. We feel a number of new initiatives are responsible for the drop in crime and the Gun Buy Backup is just one more piece to the puzzle".

As stated earlier when Mayor Brown introduced the initiative, the goals for this program are:

· To provide safer neighborhoods throughout the City of Buffalo.
· To support Mayor Brown’s Zero Tolerance Law Enforcement Agenda.
· To instill a sense of confidence and safety among the city’s law abiding residents.

On Saturday, June 2, 2007, the City of Buffalo’s Gun Buyback will occur at the following locations: Church of the Good Shepherd, 96 Jewett Parkway; Prince of Peace Christian Church, 190 Albany Street; Primera United Methodist Church, 62 Virginia Street; St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 450 Abbott Road; True Bethel Baptist Church, 907 East Ferry Street
St. John Baptist Church, 184 Goodell Street; St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Parish Hall, 256 Riverside Avenue

“I appreciate these faith-based congregations and their respective pastors for participating in this effort,” said Mayor Brown. “Their commitment to a safe city, where all residents enjoy a good quality of life, is at the core of what my Administration has been dedicated to since coming into office. I will continue to pursue law enforcement initiatives that will make Buffalo an excellent city to live, work and raise a family.”

Key support for Mayor Brown’s Gun Buyback program was provided by Lamar Outdoor Advertising (provided creative design support along with outdoor advertising locations around the City), the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (posted the Gun Buyback advertisement posters inside all 330 Metro buses, as well as in bus shelters and in rail stations based on availability of space) and Time-Warner Cable (broadcast Mayor Brown’s PSA’s on the initiative). JP Morgan Chase is the supplier of the cash cards that will be used in the program.

The cash cards will be provided, no questions asked, in the following denominations:

$10.00 Non-working or antique guns (including BB guns and pellet guns)

$50.00 Rifles/Shotguns

$75.00 Handguns

$100.00 Assault Weapons (e.g., Uzi’s, AK-47s)

The cash cards will come with a PIN # that will allow the recipient to either get cash from an ATM (where they would be subject to a service fee depending on which ATM they use) or purchase goods and receive the cash balance due following the transaction.

The cards are good for four months and the recipients will be provided with a card carrier package that will contain a PIN # for the card, a list of where and how the cards can be used and other pertinent information. The cardholder bears the responsibility of cashing their card; no replacement cards will be supplied if the cash card is lost or stolen.

“By conducting this Gun Buyback program, I know that this single effort will not eliminate illegal guns from the streets of Buffalo, but I also know that it will provide residents with an opportunity to turn in guns that they would like to remove from their homes,” said Mayor Brown. “This is just one of several tactics my Administration will continue to employ to make our city safe for all residents.”