After holding a successful gun buyback event last year, the Northampton County District Attorney’s office is planning to do it again next month.
The Northampton County District Attorney’s office said its second gun buyback event will be held on April 15, rain or shine, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at two locations in the county.
According to a release, residents can drop off guns at the Leithsville Fire Station, 1995 Leithsville Road in Hellertown, and at the Northampton Fire Department, 4 Lerchenmiller Drive in Northampton Borough.
Residents are advised to transport their firearms unloaded and in the trunk of their vehicle to either drop off location.
Rifles, handguns, shotguns, and semiautomatic weapons will be accepted. Ammunition will also be accepted, but not for payment.
Officials state that the gun buyback will be entirely anonymous. Residents will not need to show proof of ID, and they will receive grocery gift cards ranging from $50 to $200 based on the condition of each weapon.
The event is being conducted with the help of the Lower Saucon Township and Northampton police departments, Lower Saucon Fire Rescue, and the Northampton Fire Department.
Once a weapon is surrendered, it becomes the property of the police department. All guns will undergo a ballistic test to see if they are evidence in unsolved crimes.
If they are connected, the weapon will be retained as evidence, while all others will be destroyed.
The event is financed through the district attorney office’s forfeiture funds, as well as a 2022 public safety grant from the county.
The DA’s first gun buyback event was held in October 2022 and yielded over 300 weapons, in addition to boxes of ammunition.
The release said the goal of the gun buyback is to provide a place for the safe disposal of firearms, to help prevent incidents such as accidental discharges and illegal uses of stolen guns, and to remove improperly stored guns in a home where children may be present.
“From the beginning, I said the priority of holding multiple gun buyback events is to further deter preventable gun-related incidents,” DA Terry Houck said in a statement.
“Whether we receive two weapons, or 200 weapons, these events are still effective, as one more innocent life may be saved.”
(Original air-date: 3/22/23)
