| TRENTON – Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa today reminded the residents of Atlantic County that a state-led gun buyback event will take place this coming Friday, March 22, and Saturday, March 23, at two churches -- the Second Baptist Church in Atlantic City, and the Faith Baptist Church in Pleasantville.
Between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Friday and again on Saturday, Atlantic County residents can turn in a maximum of three firearms of any type “no questions asked” and receive up to $250 per weapon.
Police officers will be stationed at the two churches to collect and secure the guns.
The Second Baptist Church is located at 110 Rev. Dr. Isaac S. Coles Plaza in Atlantic City. The Faith Baptist Church is located at 829 Tilton Road in Pleasantville.
The Attorney General’s Office is paying for the two-day buyback event with criminal forfeiture funds provided by its Division of Criminal Justice. The Atlantic County Prosecutors’ Office is contributing forfeiture monies as well.
The program – the fifth state-led “Guns for Cash” buyback event since last December -- is being carried out through the efforts of the Attorney General’s Office the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, New Jersey State Police, the state Division of Criminal Justice, the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office and the faith-based community.
Attorney General Chiesa thanked the Second Baptist Church and the Faith Baptist Church for hosting the Atlantic County gun buyback, and urged residents to take advantage of this two-day opportunity to earn extra money by turning in their firearms.
Chiesa also noted that the gun buyback is for firearms only – not ammunition, and urged residents to use extreme caution in transporting their weapons.
Under state law, guns must be transported unloaded and secured in a closed and fastened case, gun box or securely tied package, or be locked in the trunk of the vehicle in which they’re being carried.
The most recent gun buyback led by the Attorney General’s Office was held on March 8 and 9 in Monmouth County, and took more than 1,500 guns off the street.
That brought to more than 7,000 the total number of firearms collected so far as a result of four state-led gun buybacks.
A buyback held in Camden County last December yielded 1,137 guns, and a buyback in Mercer County in January brought in another 2,604 firearms. A February buyback held in Essex County resulted in the collection of another 1,770 guns.
Residents with questions about the gun buyback program can call the Attorney General’s Citizen Services unit at (609) 984-5828 or visit www.nj.gov/guns.
#### |
