The state Assembly has overwhelmingly passed a bill that would require the attorney general to establish a statewide gun buyback program — nine of them each year where residents can turn in guns for cash, no questions asked. No telling whether the Senate will pass it or whether Gov. Chris Christie will sign it into law. Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick told NJTV News Anchor Mary Alice Williams that he believes it should be left up to Attorney General John Hoffman to make the decision on how to run the program.
“This is a bill I believe that received some votes in the Assembly but I’d like to leave this up to John Hoffman to make the decision, the attorney general,” said Bramnick. “You know, where he does the buyback, when he does the buyback. I think that’s within the discretion of the attorney general. I don’t like when the legislature micromanages the law enforcements’ activities. I’m a big supporter of gun buyback, but I don’t like big government determining when, how, where and why. I’ll leave that up to a great attorney general, John Hoffman.”
Bramnick has called the program a crime fighting tool and so far about 16,000 guns have been netted, including 1,900 illegal weapons. According to Bramnick, fewer guns on the street is for the better. He also said that the gun buyback program allows people to turn in guns to the attorney general with no questions asked.
As for the success rate of gun buybacks in the state, Bramnick said, “They’ve been very successful. They’ve picked up all kinds of very dangerous weapons. I know when Jeff Chiesa, the former attorney general, was there, he found it very successful and I think John Hoffman does as well. And it should continue, but once again let law enforcement make that decision.”
Bramnick said that if both of Christie’s attorney generals have done gun buybacks, he assumes that the governor is not against them. He also said that he guesses Christie would not want the legislature telling the attorney general what to do and that it would be the same if it was a Democratic governor.
As for other crime reducing initiatives complementing the gun buybacks, Bramnick said, “Well, I truly believe that we should always increase the penalty if you steal a gun from a house. That should automatically be prison time and that’s a bill that’s impending in the state legislature.”