By Senior Correspondent Desirée Taylor
NJ Today
New Jersey Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa called the latest state sponsored gun buyback initiative a success. During the two-day event held at six churches in five municipalities, 1,700 firearms were turned in by residents. This number didn’t surpass the 2,600 guns collected at the previous buyback in Trenton last month, but it’s the largest amount ever collected in Essex County.
Of the 1,700 weapons collected, 70 were illegal. The type of guns turned in for up to $250 cash, no questions asked, varied. They included 1,100 handguns and 31 semi-automatic weapons. Among those was an AR-15 rifle, a similar type of weapon used in the Newtown, Conn. shooting.
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The municipality that collected the largest number of guns was Montclair with 716 firearms. That is more than double the 308 weapons collected in Newark. “While our numbers beat everybody, it’s important to note someone can go to a suburban area of Essex County, steal a gun, and use it in an urban area,” said Montclair Mayor Robert Jackson. “So the idea it’s gone is important.”
Attorney General Chiesa acknowledged these buybacks alone can’t solve the problem of gun violence. “It’s part of the solution … These aren’t the only steps we take. We take steps to combat gun trafficking, gun violence and gang violence every day,” said Chiesa.
So far, more than 5,400 weapons have been collected as a result of three state sponsored gun buybacks.