Arlington Gun Buy-Back Event Part of Middlesex County Partnership

ARLINGTON, MA—Do you have an old gun that you don't use anymore, or one that you don't want to keep in the house?

The Arlington Police are here to help.

Police announced via Twitter on April 20 that a gun buy-back event will be held Saturday, June 11 at the Public Works Yard located at 51 Grove St. The event is a partnership with five greater Boston area police departments, including the Middlesex County Sheriff's office, in order to help residents remove unwanted firearms from their homes.

“We are grateful to our neighboring agencies and to Sheriff Koutoujian and his team for partnering with us on this important community safety initiative,” said Arlington Police Chief Fred Ryan in a statement Thursday.

While this is the first regional event, this event is not new to Arlington, as the department held its first event in 2013.

“Nationwide more than 20,000 people commit suicide with a firearm and another 16,000 are injured in unintentional shootings each year,” said Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian in a statement. “Providing residents with an avenue to safely dispose of unwanted firearms makes our communities – and especially our homes – safer, and we are proud to support our partners in this effort.”

Thursday's announcement from the Arlington Police Department stated that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health cited 115 firearm-related suicides in 2013 among Commonwealth residents.

Residents can turn in unwanted or unused guns and receive a gift card to a local store, which was not named in the announcement. Police urged residents to transport guns unloaded in the trunk of your vehicle or in a secure bag or box.

Photo Credit: Morguefile