State Gun Buyback Program Coming To Monmouth County
State Attorney General says up to $250 paid for guns turned in on March 8, 9
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In attempt to get illegal guns off the streets and cut into gun violence, the Attorney General’s Office is staging a state-sponsored gun buyback to be held in Monmouth County early next month, officials said Thursday.
State Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa was in Asbury Park Thursday to announce the March 8 and 9 program would be held in conjunction with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, the Asbury Park Police Department, the Keansburg Police Department, the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, and local faith-based community organizations.
Monmouth County residents can turn in up to three unloaded guns at the Shiloh Community Fellowship Ministry in Asbury Park – 142 Dewitt Ave. -- or the St. Ann Catholic Church in Keansburg – 267 Carr Ave. -- between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Chiesa said.
Chiesa said the program is not a panacea for gun violence, but an attempt to curb it.
“I remain troubled by the level of gun violence in New Jersey and in our nation,’’ Chiesa said. “Sadly, the victims of these senseless acts of violence are often innocent people whose only crime was to be minding their own business when someone decided to start shooting.’’
The Monmouth County buyback is the fourth in a series of initiatives that have taken place in Camden, Mercer and Essex counties. Those three programs have collected about 5,400 guns. More than 1,000 of those guns were illegal either because they had large ammunition capacities, had sawed-off barrels or where modified in some way, Chiesa said.
“This is a means of reducing shooting deaths,’’ Chiesa said. “It’s been said before but it’s a thought worth repeating: If we can save even one life through out gun buyback program it’s an effort worth making.’’
Police officers will be on hand to collect and handle the guns. No questions will be asked in the amnesty program and cash will be paid on the spot -- up to $250 for each gun, Chiesa said.
During the two-day buyback program held in Camden city, Chiesa said, 1,100 guns were taken in. More than 2,600 guns were taken in during the Mercer County event and another 1,700 were taken during the Essex County buyback, including one AR-17 automatic rifle similar to the one used by the Newtown, Conn., shooter, Chiesa said.
“I was stunned,’’ he said. “Those are guns that are no longer able to hurt police officers, no longer are able hurt innocent people and no longer able to terrorize the communities that they find themselves in.’’
The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office last held “Guns For Cash’’ program in 2011 in Asbury Park, Keansburg, and Freehold Township. Close to 300 guns were bought for nearly $12,000.
Kim E
2:54 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
So this way only the "Bad Guys" will have guns.
Jon Boody
3:09 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
This is an excellent way for gun thieves to unload their loot legally courtesy of the taxpayers. All of the guns should be reviewed against reported gun thefts and the people turning in stolen guns should be arrested and charged with their crimes. That would be an excellent way to help reduce gun-related crimes in the area. The stolen guns could then be returned to their rightful owners.
tom thornton
4:52 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
The statistics show that mostly outdated, broken or inoperative guns are turned in. At a recent buy back in a mid west city, the gun collectors stood in the parking lot and offered much more than the police were. In effect they started their own gun show market in the parking lot. The police just stood there and laughed, knowing that the sellers and buyers were smarter than they were. The well intentioned buy backs do nothing other than be a photo op where all the politicians and police say "we're doing such a great job, see how many guns we got" from little old ladies,
A Resident
11:21 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
This is NJ. A sale in the parking lot outside would be illegal here. You won't see the cops laughing about it....you may see them arresting some people.
jerseyswamps
6:24 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Suppose you have an illegal handgun. How do you get it to this place without breaking the law? Then when you get there they offer you $5 for a gun that might be worth $500. Can you then say "no thanks" and they let you leave with an unlicensed gun you have no permit to carry?
NJ Devil Dog
6:54 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
No dirtbag criminal is going to turn in their gun. They're already illegal. Do you think they'll all of a sudden have a conscience? We need a concealed carry law for the law abiding citizens of N.J.
fed up
3:11 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
Agreed.
Iva Frutescens
8:11 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Since all the gun stores are sold out, sounds like a good place to "shop" at a discount. So, I guess it's legal for the County to act as an FFL? Hmmm. So, in NJ, for me to buy a gun I need a firearms I'd card. So at these events when the gun is turned in, $ is exchanged, essentially a purchase. Does the guy handing the seller $$ have an id card? I didn't think so, all these new gun laws are just for us citizens. The affluent and connected get to make their own rules.
Adam Sampson
8:23 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Thinking of checking out the lot with some COE's and seeing what i can get..
Nj Ghost
10:40 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Cool Move...Among the guns that I have are 3 wall hangers that should be used for boat anchors...I will turn then in on the buyback program....perhaps $150.00 each.....I'll add a few bucks to that and get a Mossberg 12 ga 590a1 Blackwater 9 shot pump with a tri-rail forend, black synthetic stock with extra shell storage, top rail-mounted ghost ring sight, receiver engraving with blackwater logo.......sounds like a good deal to me, keep em coming taxpayers...I love it.
Robert Way
4:31 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
Nice choice, and you know the "Blackwater" model really pisses off the anti-gunners :-)
Adam Sampson
11:31 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Ooo ya know what, my guy has a few -$100 no fire wall hangers.. gonna have to see what i can get lol
Hank Kerchef
5:22 am on Friday, February 22, 2013
what a scam,,,, you don't have to turn in your guns,,, just questionable ones. Its perfectly legal to have guns.
Robert Way
6:42 am on Friday, February 22, 2013
My favorite part of this article is the State Attorney's comment at the end where he tries to invoke the emotion (i.e. stand on the graves of small children) by professing and I quote, "including one AR-17 automatic rifle similar to the one used by the Newtown, Conn., shooter", with the possible intention of suggesting that a buy-back program such as this could have possibly prevented such a tragedy.
Our State Attorney General doesn't have a clue what he is talking about. The Newtown shooter used an AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle, I am going to repeat, SEMI-automatic rifle, one pull of the trigger, one bullet comes out, much like the two semi-automatic handguns the shooter was carrying. It WAS NOT an AUTOMATIC rifle, i.e., one pull of the trigger and the rifle fires until it is empty, it jams, or the operator takes his finger off the trigger.
The next piece of misinformation is the fact that an AR-17 is not even a rifle, it is a semi-automatic, two shot, shotgun, but that doesn't sound scarey enough so we'll just say somebody turned in a big, black, mean-looking, AUTOMATIC rifle like the one used in Newtown.
These buy-back programs are a joke and a waste of taxpayer dollars. They are administered by clueless politicians that are looking more for the PR because they are "doing something". Wait until these buy-back programs are mandatory on some firearms, after all, we have elected officials that think Australia is the model to follow.
Nj Ghost
7:09 am on Friday, February 22, 2013
Absolutly correct Robert Way, copied and pasted from Chuck Hawkes .com : "Built only between 1964 and 1965, a total of 1,200 of the AR-17 two-shot auto shotguns were made. Supposedly, there were also 800 additional complete parts kits produced. MSRP at the time was approximately $130."
John W. Burke
9:37 am on Friday, February 22, 2013
Can't any of you people try to be a little bit positive and helpful. Doesnt anybody realize that every avenue should be persued, we need to try all things until we can figure out the most effective way to reduce the number of guns out there. This can only help to do that. If any of you geniuses have a better idea, lets hear it, otherwise shut up!
Nj Ghost
10:35 am on Friday, February 22, 2013
John Burke: I and many like me will never be tolerent of a government that will ignore the constitution of this Country. It is those like you that will put into the hands of such a government the tolls needed to supress the poeple. It's been proven time and time again the once a people are disarmed the goverment can do whatever it chooses to do without retribution from the people who gave them the power. Be fearful of a government that wishes to take away your God given right to defend yourself, they are evil and will become more so given more power.I for one hope you never have to live it because it is the likes of you that cannot be counted on I'm sorry to say.
Spooner
11:31 am on Friday, February 22, 2013
Mr Burke- just what avenue has not been pursued. Perhaps you can tell us beside making a broadsheet blanket statement couched in moral dictions:"be a little bit positive and helpful...this can only help" So I'm turning the table on you now to give us something new. . .
PS: you can talk if you want...I won't tell you to shut up!
fed up
3:40 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
Lets see Mr. Burke, positive and helpful? I would be more positive if the government was not continuosly trying to infringe on my second amendment rights. And i would be more helpful if i was permitted to carry a concealed weapon. Every avenue be persued? Oh like passing laws/bills that do absolutely nothing but keep legal firearms from legal citizens. Please. Reduce the number of guns out there? That will never happen. Even in the city of Chicago where there is a handgun ban, they lead the nation in handgun murders and shootings. Hows that working out? This buy back will do nothing. As far as better ideas go. How about the government enforces the laws already in place, and make any crime committed with a gun punishable starting at 25years 1st offense. Thats one idea. And don't tell me to shut up!
Robert Way
4:29 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
Mr. Burke, part of the problem is the misconception that those on pro-2a side of the gun debate want to do absolutely nothing to try and curb gun violence which is absolutely untrue. Any rational person would agree that gun violence and violence in general needs to be curbed. The problem is we, the pro-2a folks, have a completely different approach than the anti-2a folks out there.
I am going to put myself at risk here for painting with broad strokes, but the pro-2a folks would rather curb gun violence through more consistent enforcement and MUCH harsher punishment for crimes committed with firearms whereas the anti-2a folks are obsessed with the guns themselves, "if we could just get rid of the guns, our civil utopia would be complete" or some pie in the sky crapola like that.
The main problem with the anti-2a folks approach is that it neglects the fact that all us law-abiding citizens are sick and tired of our liberties being trampled on by jack-arses like our current VP who thinks my wife would be better off firing a double-barrel shotgun into the air out the bedroom window to defend herself and my kids instead of being armed with a AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and a STANDARD CAPACITY 30 round magazine to light up the one, two, or maybe three thugs that might be coming through the bedroom door where she is hunkered down with my four kids behind her waiting for the police to arrive.
As for the buy-back, it is a PR stunt using "other people's money", MY TAXES!
A Resident
11:23 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
NJ Ghost, you do know the government that is supposedly trying to take away people's 2nd amendment rights is also the same government that created those 2nd amendment rights in the first place.
Robert Way
8:05 am on Saturday, February 23, 2013
Sorry Resident, you fail to realize that our government did not "create" our right to keep and bear arms, our Founders acknowledged the right we already had.
I guess our government "created" our right to free speech as well and we should all be happy with the fact that we serve at their mercy and have been spared thus far in that they allow us to speak freely amongst ourselves.
James
1:02 am on Saturday, February 23, 2013
Also to all criminals in Monmouth county. They will have your picture and know who you are. They will know who has warrants they want to arrest you. They will have a photo lineup book and go through it before and if they think you are a felon they will arrest you for possession of a weapon. The government and city can lie to you. If you ask them if they are a cop they can say no just to arrest you. Be careful.
Nj Ghost
5:27 am on Saturday, February 23, 2013
A Resident. I'm sure you're intentions are well meant however, The ability to defend ones self and family from harm from others is in the bill of rights and is encompassed in our rights from God which is Life, liberty and the persuit of happiness . This is placed second only to the first which as you know guarentees the right of free speech along with the freedom from religon. I believe that without the second you can't have the first or anyother for that matter.Therefore I believe that the second is the most important of them all. The govt. has already made great inroads into the 5th , 4th , 9th as well as the 10th, we must guard against and defend the second with great ferocity as all others depend on it. The Govt is like a spoiled child and therefore quite dangerous.
Robert Way
8:12 am on Saturday, February 23, 2013
Right on point @NJ Ghost, it is unfortunate that more and more folks are becoming so short-sighted regarding the Second Amendment under the false notion that if we just give up a little more of our Liberty today we will all be "more secure". After all, we are a "modern society".....
Dame Bridgid
4:37 pm on Saturday, February 23, 2013
Congratulations for giving criminals an incentive to steal more weapons for pocket money. Will law abiding citizens with legal permits get their stolen weapons back from the police after this buy back? If not; they are acting as accomplices to that theft, by not returning the stolen item to the rightful owner. After all; if it was a car it would be returned.