NJ Will Offer ‘Cash For Guns’ At Newark, East Orange Events

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — It’s not about “infringing on the rights of lawful gun owners,” officials say – it’s about making streets safer.

On Saturday, Aug. 7, a series of gun buyback events will take place in Newark, East Orange, Paterson and Atlantic City.

New Jersey residents can turn in up to three firearms with “no questions asked,” getting as much as $250 per weapon. Police officers will be stationed at each buyback location to collect and secure the guns.

Events will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the following locations:

• The Prudential Center, 25 Lafayette St in Newark
• New Vision Baptist Church, 100 Warrington Place in East Orange
• Atlantic City Fire Station No. 1, 900 Atlantic Avenue in Atlantic City
• Gilmore Memorial Tabernacle, 68 Bishop Clarence Gilmore Blvd. in Paterson
• St. Luke’s Baptist Church, 139 Carroll Street (A.M. Tyler Place) in Paterson

According to the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, the gun buyback initiative is funded with forfeiture dollars obtained by the local police departments and county prosecutors offices, as well as forfeiture funds from the Division of Criminal Justice.

Residents with questions about the buyback effort can call the Attorney General’s Office of Constituent Services at (609) 984-5828 or visit www.njoag.gov/gunbuyback/.

“The rise in shootings across our country and throughout our state is deeply painful, and our Office is deploying all available tools to attack the problem from every possible angle,” Acting Attorney General Andrew Bruck said.

“This buyback initiative is part of our broad-based, ongoing efforts to stop the violence in our communities and save lives by reducing the number of firearms in circulation,” Bruck said.

Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens II said the program “has nothing to do with infringing on the rights of lawful gun owners.”

“To be clear, the key purpose of this initiative is to reduce the number of illegal and unwanted guns in households and prevent them from being used in a potentially dangerous manner,” Stephens said. “Fewer guns available will have a direct effect on making our streets safer.”

The mayors and police chiefs in Newark and East Orange agreed.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka – “The right to bear arms should be done with care and responsibility and in compliance with the law. However, we must get illegal and unwanted guns out of communities, specifically as we deal with a national rise in gun violence. Important initiatives like this gun buyback program coupled with alternative violence reduction initiatives will reduce the needless tragedies that guns can create and save countless lives. This is truly a collective effort with our state and county law enforcement partners, and key organizations. It is critical in removing dangerous weapons from homes and off our streets.”

Newark Public Safety Director Brian O'Hara – “So far this year, Newark police have removed nearly 400 illegal guns from our streets, as gun recoveries in Newark are up 63 percent year-to-date. Every gun taken off the street is potentially a life saved. And I am grateful to Attorney General Bruck for coordinating this much-needed program.”

East Orange Mayor Ted Green – “Every gun that we are able to get out of the wrong hands and off the streets is a win for everyone. Public safety has always been my administration’s top priority and this gun buyback program means a safer city for our residents and our officers.”

East Orange Police Chief Phyllis Bindi – ““The detrimental effects of guns in our community continue to ripple at every level. For years, we have been working diligently with our law enforcement agencies and community partners to get guns off the street. This ‘Guns for Cash’ event is an aggressive step in the right direction and it’s absolutely a necessary component, in a broader plan, to ensure the safety of the people we protect and serve.”

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