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From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Doles Community Center, local residents can turn in any firearms to officials – no questions asked – and will be rewarded with up to $500 in gifts in exchange.
As part of a team up between the Crime Stoppers and Best Buy, the winner of a 55-inch curved television, will be announced Friday afternoon in advance of the buyback.
Last month, the Crime Stoppers announced it was teaming with the Mount Vernon Police Department to host the gun buyback, which will permit gun owners to anonymously exchange their firearms for hundreds of dollars in gift cards, no questions asked.
"We’ve been working hard to improve the quality of life for residents in Mount Vernon,” Mayor Ernest Davis said about the initiative. “This gun buyback will hopefully help us get some weapons off our streets.”
Only operational guns can be redeemed, and they will be tested on site. Handguns will merit $200 each, rifles and shotguns will net $100 apiece, while assault rifles are worth $500. High-capacity magazines can be returned for $20 each, with a maximum buyback of $500.
“At a time where we see visible rifts between police and the community in pockets across our nation, on behalf of the Westchester County Crime Stoppers Organization, it is a privilege to attempt to engage the community and police to come together, to work together and to mitigate crime,” Lawrence said.
Lawrence said part of the Crime Stoppers’ mission was to help local communities create cohesion between the police and the people they are tasked with protecting. He added the buyback was just part of a much larger mission of the organization.
“This is a great opportunity to get the police, the community at large, and local officials to come together,” Lawrence said. “Really, it’s about engaging the community. We will have members of the police force there, as well as student volunteers from around the county.”
Those looking to support the “Turn in a Gun; Get Paid; Save Lives” initiative can send donations to the Westchester County Crime Stoppers, PO Box 243, Bronxville NY 10743.
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