POUGHKEEPSIE – New York State Attorney General Letitia “Tish” James is holding another gun buyback program in Poughkeepsie on Saturday, December 4th, at Beulah Baptist Church from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The church is located at 92 Catharine Street in Poughkeepsie. Participants do not have to be city residents to surrender a weapon.
The Attorney General held a gun buyback event at the church in June of 2021. A total of 80 firearms were surrendered and the James touted the statewide program, saying “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.”
Individuals can turn in any firearm without showing ID and no questions will be asked by the members of law enforcement on hand to secure the weapons. Representatives from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) will provide a pre-paid gift card to individuals that turn in the guns. The value of the gift card is determined by the type of firearm that is surrendered.
- $250 for assault rifles
- $150 for handguns
- $75 for rifles or shotguns
- $25 for non-working or antique firearms
City of Poughkeepsie Police Officer Kevin Van Wagner, President of the PBA, endorsed the program, saying “We are happy to work with Attorney General James and any organization that will help us remove deadly firearms from the streets. The weapons that are turned in are no longer a threat to our officers or the community.”
