SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — The Syracuse Police Department, in conjunction with the New York State Attorney General’s Office, is hosting its third annual Gun Buyback event.
The event is scheduled for Saturday, April 29 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at St. Lucy’s Food Pantry, on 425 Gifford Street in Syracuse where volunteers can receive up to $500 for turning in a firearm.
The Gun Buyback program came back to Syracuse in 2021 after 12 years since the last one in 2009.
The Gun Buyback is an amnesty program, meaning no questions will be asked of the person dropping off the firearm, and no charges will be filed.
Guns must be unloaded and placed in a plastic bag, a paper bag or a box. There is no limit on the number of firearms you can turn in.
The Office of the Attorney General shared the values of each returned weapon:
- Assault rifle or ghost gun: $500
- Handgun: $500 for first, then $150 each
- Rifle or shotgun: $75
- Non-working, replica, antique, homemade or 3D printed gun: $25
Since 2013, the Office of the Attorney General has hosted gun buyback events throughout New York state.
According to the most recent data from 2022, New York Attorney General Letitia James has taken nearly 3000 firearms out of communities since 2018.
Last year, Attorney General James stated that this program is an important initiative to vigorously combat gun violence and protect New Yorkers throughout the state.
“Communities throughout New York and the country are dealing with a rise in gun violence, and we must do all we can to protect people from harm,” said Attorney General James. “Our gun buybacks have been one of the most successful ways to get guns off the streets and out of homes.”
