A gun buyback event held at two Brooklyn churches Saturday saw 134 working firearms taken off the streets, according to Kings County District Attorney Charles Hynes and NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly.
“Once again, we have shown the effectiveness of innovation and creativity in law enforcement, in taking guns off the streets and making Brooklyn an even safer place to live,” Hynes said in a statement.
From 10 a.m.-4p.m., individuals dropped off 80 revolvers, 31 semi-automatic pistols, four rifles, three shotguns, one sawed-off shotgun and 15 other firearms including BBs, zips and starter pistols.
Some of the more notable firearms surrendered were a .22 Magnum Derringer "wallet gun"; a Beretta model 84 .380 caliber; a Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum.
Hynes thanked the elected officials, clergy members and police officers who made the event possible. "Thanks also to Police Commissioner Kelly for all his help,” he continued.
Held at Mt. Ollie Baptist Church in Brownsville and the St. Peters Lutheran Church in Cyprus Hills, the program was sponsored by Hynes; the NYPD; New York State Senators John Sampson, Martin Malave Dilan and Velmanette Montgomery; New York State Assembly members William Boyland and Rafael Espinal, and New York City Councilman Eric Martin Dilan.
Last June, 70 guns were turned in at one church as part of the Gun Buyback program. In 2010, 287 guns were collected in Brooklyn at six churches. In 2008, there were three gun buybacks at a combined 16 churches, resulting in
1,532 guns.
Since the program’s inception more than 8,000 guns have been surrendered.
