CrimeStoppers hosts gun buy-back event Saturday

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, anybody with unwanted firearms could sell them to CrimeStoppers for up to $100 cash per weapon.

The program, the second Annual Gun Buyback Event, was held at the First Baptist Church on North Ripley Street in Montgomery. Tony Garrett, CrimeStoppers executive director, said a total of 73 guns were collected; he said the majority of the guns collected were from residents who were not gun users and feared the gun created an unnecessary risk around their children or could be used illegally if stolen from their home.

At the second annual gun buy-back event, rifles, handguns, and shotguns were sold for $50 and assault-style weapons for $100. All other weapons, including air rifles and knives, were accepted but without compensation.

All weapons will be safely destroyed so that they can't be used for illegal activity, Garrett said.

The Gun Reward Initiative started in 2017 through the cooperation of law enforcement, as well as Montgomery government and community organizations. The aim is to reduce the availability of guns for illegal actions, especially among juveniles.

The program offers a $300 reward for tips regarding those under 18 in possession of firearms.

Since it began, the program has received 58 tips that have helped law enforcement arrest 22 individuals and take 107 guns off the streets.

For more information about the gun buyback event or to report a juvenile in possession of a firearm, call 215-STOP.

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