POUGHKEEPSIE – State Attorney General Letitia James teamed up with the City of Poughkeepsie Police on Saturday for a successful gun buyback program. The event at the Beulah Baptist Church resulted in several deadly weapons being taken out of circulation. In total, 80 firearms were turned in to police officers who secured them.
The Office of the Attorney General accepts, with no questions asked, working and non-working, unloaded firearms in exchange for compensation on site. To date, Attorney General James has taken more than 1,100 firearms out of communities through gun buybacks since taking office in 2019.
Poughkeepsie Police Officer and PBA President Kevin Van Wagner said that 49 handguns, 1 assault rifle, 27 long guns, and three BB guns were accepted at Saturday’s event. “We are happy to work with Attorney General James and any organization that will help us remove deadly firearms from the streets. The weapons we collected today will no longer be a threat to the community or our officers that protect this city.”
“Gun violence is an ongoing threat to our neighborhoods and it endangers New Yorkers every day,” said James. “From taking guns off the streets, to going after those who illegally own guns and cause harm, I am taking every step possible to protect our communities from gun violence and prevent potential tragedies. My office will continue to do everything we can to preserve public safety, and I thank our partners in law enforcement for their crucial support in this effort.”
In exchange for the firearms, the attorney general offered monetary compensation, in the form of prepaid gift cards, and Apple iPads when an unloaded gun was received and secured by an officer on-site.
