Home Pittsburg Pittsburg City Council Could Approve $100k Gun Buyback Program

Pittsburg City Council Could Approve $100k Gun Buyback Program

by ECT
City of Pittsburg

At the August 15 meeting, the Pittsburg City Council is set to vote on approving funding for a gun buyback program hosted by the Pittsburg Police Department.

The goal is to reduce the guns sold illegally in the community and to reduce the number of associated injuries and deaths. The funding would not come from the city general fund, but rather from the Pittsburg Power fund balance which would finance the gun buyback program.

On Friday, the Pittsburg Police Department announced that in the past 90-days,  60 illegal firearms have been recovered during a special operation with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

According to the Staff Report, the key objectives of this gun buyback program will be:

  1.  Provide an opportunity for safe disposal of firearms
  2. Reduce the availability of guns in Pittsburg and surrounding communities.
  3. Raise awareness of the risks of firearms
  4. Reduce crime and gun violence.

The gun buyback program will be fully managed by the Pittsburg Police Department, including advertising, staffing the event, and destroying the firearms. The program will pay $50 for non-operable guns, $100 for handguns/rifles/shotguns, and $200 for assault rifles and ghost guns. The funding all located by the City Council will be used to purchase gift
cards from local businesses that will be provided to residents during the event.

Residents will be able to safely bring guns to the event secured in the trunk of their car, and the Pittsburg Police Department will take possession the gun(s) at that point. All firearms collected will be destroyed.

Any excess funds not utilized at the event will be rolled over to a future firearm and violent
crime reduction programs

The staff report also said in 2013 and in 2016, previous gun buybacks were successful with over 300 firearms turned in at each event. During those events, citizens were incentivized to turn in the unwanted firearms, receiving gift cards to
local retail businesses.

City Council Meeting
August 15, 2022
City Hall Council Chamber – 65 Civic Avenue
7:00 pm
Full Agenda: Click here

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