Fayetteville Police Offering Gun Buyback Program Sept. 17
The Fayetteville Police Department announced it will be offering a gun buyback program on Saturday, September 17.
“In an effort to address gun violence in our community and create a safer place for everyone, the Fayetteville Police Department will be hosting the 2022 Fayetteville Gun Buy Back Program,” Fayetteville Police said in a release Friday afternoon. “The program asks you to anonymously surrender unwanted firearms with ‘No Questions Asked.'”
According to the release, the event on Saturday, September 17, 2022 at Kingdom Impact Global Ministries at 2503 Murchison Road in Fayetteville.
Police will be giving $100 for handguns, $150 for rifles or shotguns, and $200 for assault weapons.
A strict procedure will be followed for the buyback, as follows:
- Place the unloaded gun inside your trunk, truck bed, cargo area or in your backseat or floorboard before leaving your home. Gun must be brought to the site unloaded.
- Approach the church by way of Murchison Road.
- Officers will direct you to the designated area.
- Please remain in your vehicle at all times. An officer will remove the gun. (If you cannot remotely open the trunk or rear hatch from the driver’s seat, you will hand the officer the key.)
- After the gun is determined to be a working firearm, compensation will be provided – “No Questions Asked.” You will be required to leave a mark indicating that you are surrendering your weapon(s) to the Fayetteville Police Department in order to receive compensation.
- MOST IMPORTANTLY: DO NOT TOUCH ANY WEAPONS
“The gun buyback program is a proactive campaign to take guns off our streets. The buyback program asks residents to turn in their gun(s) and in return receive monetary compensation. The “no questions asked” program will allow individuals to anonymously dispose of firearms without fear of charges for illegal possession when turning in the weapon.”
Some frequently asked questions provided by Fayetteville Police include:
Q: How is the Fayetteville gun buyback program funded?
The program is funded by the Police Department’s forfeiture fund (money recovered from illegal drug activity).
Q: Why is the community launching this program?
This community has been impacted by an increase in gun violence. Taking guns off the street is at the heart of violence prevention and we must do everything we can to put an end to the senseless violence. Every gun turned into the program is a life potentially saved.
Q: Will I get arrested when I deliver a gun to the buyback program? Do I have to identify myself?
No, you will not be arrested when you deliver the gun. However, you must follow the turn in procedure. You will not have to identify yourself. This is a “No Questions Asked” program that means you will remain anonymous when you drop off the firearm. You will be required to leave a mark indicating that you are surrendering the weapon(s) to the Fayetteville Police Department to receive monetary compensation.
Q: What types of guns are accepted?
All guns will be accepted to a maximum of $600.00 per person. These will also have to be workable firearms. Whether a gun is “workable” will be determined by the officer screening the weapon. No BB or pellets guns will be accepted.
Q: What happens after the gun is turned in?
All weapons will be stored by the police department and handled according to state law. All weapons will be checked to ensure they were not involved in criminal activity or reported stolen. If possible, recovered stolen weapons will be returned to the rightful owner(s).
Q: Are gun buyback programs proven to reduce gun violence?
We do know that if a gun is turned in, it will not be used in a future crime. The buyback program is one part of a larger strategy and opportunity to mobilize our community in joint efforts against gun violence. This program demonstrates Fayetteville’s commitment for safer streets. “No Questions Asked” embraces the philosophy that one fewer gun on the streets is potentially many lives saved.
