FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 19, 2022
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and NYPD to
Host Second Gun Buyback Event This Year in Clinton Hill
$200 and iPad Will be Given for Working Handgun or Assault Rifle, No Questions Asked;
Will be Held at Emmanuel Baptist Church on Saturday, May 21
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell, today announced that a Gun Buyback event will be held on Saturday, May 21, 2022, from 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at Emmanuel Baptist Church, 279 Lafayette Avenue, in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. This is the second Gun Buyback event this year as the DA’s Office increases its investments in safety initiatives ahead of the summer months.
District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Our close collaboration with law enforcement, strong commitment to holding offenders accountable, and constant engagement with communities to prevent violence is bearing fruit, with shootings in Brooklyn decreasing by nearly 25% so far this year following a 20% drop in 2021. As we redouble our efforts to keep our communities safe, we will be hosting another Gun Buyback event this Saturday – just one part of a comprehensive strategy to get firearms off the streets. I encourage anyone who has a gun at home to take advantage of this opportunity, safely turn it in, and get some cash and an iPad in return.”
Commissioner Sewell said, “Every gun that we get off our streets is a gun that will never be used to harm another New Yorker. This Gun Buyback event is one more component of our continuous effort to keep the people of New York City safe, and I want to thank the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office for their partnership in this important program – and for their steadfast commitment to the people of Brooklyn.”
Rev. Anthony L. Trufant said, “As the Pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church (EBC), I am glad to partner with the Brooklyn DA’s Office, Law Enforcement, and the larger community to work to reduce gun violence. Public safety and quality of life issues are an urgent priority. Recent events in Buffalo at a supermarket and Laguna Woods at a Taiwanese church remind us that this is not merely a local matter, nor a primarily “Black thing,” as the mainstream media suggests. We must not simply get handguns and shotguns off the streets, but we must also keep AR-15s out of criminals’ hands and pass sensible gun laws. Still, I agree with DA Gonzalez that the Gun Buyback Program is a small, yet meaningful step in the right direction.”
The District Attorney said that his Office, along with the NYPD, will offer money in the form of a $200 bank card and an iPad for each operable gun or assault rifle turned in (iPads are subject to availability on a first-come, first-served basis). All transactions will be anonymous, no questions asked. The bank cards will be issued after each firearm is received and screened by officers on-site. Guns should be unloaded and packaged in a paper or plastic bag or a box when brought to the event. If transported by car, the guns must be kept in the trunk. Both working and inoperable weapons will be accepted.
Participants will receive $25 for operable rifles, shotguns and air guns. Unlimited numbers of guns can be turned in, but participants will receive maximum of $600 in bank cards and one iPad per person. No identification is required, and the firearms will be accepted with no questions asked. Active or retired law enforcement officers and licensed gun dealers are not eligible for this event.
Emmanuel Baptist Church is located at 279 Lafayette Avenue, a short distance from the Clinton-Washington Avenue and the Classon Avenue Subway Station of the G line, and near a B38 Bus Stop at Lafayette Avenue/Washington Avenue.
The District Attorney thanked the New York City Police Foundation and Junior’s Restaurant for partnering to contribute funds for this event.
During a January Gun Buyback event hosted by the Brooklyn DA’s Office in Flatbush, about 40 weapons were turned in, including many types of guns that are often used in street crimes.
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