Firearms to Fast Cash: How Gun Buybacks Work

It's no secret that New York City has seen a spike in gun violence this year. Citywide, shooting incidents are up over 90% year-over-year with devastating consequences, including a series of shootings near Prospect Park in August that left 3 men dead and one man paralyzed from the waist down.

⚠️ Important Note: While shootings in NYC are up year-over-year, almost every corner of the city is down from 10-year highs and all-time highs in the 90s.

One solution authorities have used to try to decrease the number of firearms on the streets is gun buybacks. NYPD has a Cash for Guns program run as a joint venture with the city's district attorneys.

How does the buyback process work? I attended a gun buyback in East New York last month to find out.

1. NYPD and the borough District Attorney decide to host an event on neutral ground. (Think: a church, a community center, etc.)

2. The event begins and people show up with their firearms in a paper bag, a plastic bin, or a locked box. The gun(s) must be in an opaque container. If the person is arriving by car, the gun should be locked in the trunk until they reach the buyback location.

3. The weapon gets turned over to law enforcement officers present in the building.

4. Officers check to make sure the gun isn't loaded. If it is loaded, they empty it. Once it's confirmed that all bullets have been removed, the bullets and the gun are put away separately.

5. The person who brought the weapon receives their money in the form of a gift card (up to $200/gun for a maximum of 3 guns at $600).

6. After the event, all of the firearms collected are taken to a secure location and melted down/destroyed.