Seth Johnson
The Gainesville Police Department (GPD) on Tuesday announced plans to hold a community gun buyback program on Saturday, Oct. 30.
The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church (718 SE 11th St.) in southeast Gainesville. Anyone from the community can turn in a gun with no questions asked and receive a Visa gift card in exchange.
According to the GPD announcement, the department will pay $100 for revolvers, $200 for semi-automatic pistols, and $300 for rifles and shotguns.
The Office of the State Attorney Brian Kramer is supporting the buyback program, along with the Save Our City Initiative and Big Daddy Guns.
GPD announced that it would host a gun buyback in August at a special meeting to address the rise in gun violence, especially among teens, that hit the city this summer. Investigators discovered some of those weapons were stolen.
GPD and the State Attorney’s Office spoke to the need for community support to stop the violence, a sentiment Gainesville pastors voiced in July.
The police department’s response plan, titled “One Community,” called for action in three broad steps: prevention, intervention and suppression.
GPD also participated in a flag football game with Gainesville High School to raise awareness for gun violence and a backpack giveaway before school started held by People Against Violence Enterprises.