The city of Hoboken is fighting back against gun violence in the wake of a fatal shooting in April.
Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla and city public safety officials announced Thursday that its police department will host a gun buyback event June 22, pending final approval from the state Office of the Attorney General. Residents can surrender up to three firearms, with no questions asked, and receive as much as $350 per weapon.
The announcement comes one month after former Hoboken High School two-sport star Damon Murray was shot dead outside a city public housing complex building.
“The rise in gun violence is a national epidemic, but having recently lost one of our own, makes this personal for me and our Public Safety Department,” said Public Safety Director Ken Ferrante. “If we take one gun off the streets, perhaps we are protecting one family from the devastation Damon’s family is going through today.”
The buyback event, which is being funded by the city, will be held at Hoboken Police Headquarters, 106 Hudson St., from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Participants will receive cash immediately following the surrender of the firearm. The amount is dependent on the type of firearm being surrendered: $40 each for inoperable guns, $200 each for rifles or shotguns, $250 for handguns (semi-automatic/revolver) and $350 each for illegal assault weapons. BB guns are excluded from compensation.
Studies have shown that gun buybacks have little effect on crime reduction, but some say these programs are beneficial when coordinated with a broader crime-fighting plan.
“The mayor believes that anything the city can do to get even one gun off the streets of Hoboken makes this effort worth it,” public safety spokeswoman Marci Rubi said. “He, along with the administration and police department, are willing to consider anything that will help get guns out of homes and off the streets and reduce gun violence in and around the city.”
Bhalla called “even one shooting death ... too many” and “would also like to thank the residents who I spoke with following Damon Murray’s tragic passing, for supporting this decision.”
Participants are asked to register in advance by either signing up online here: https://hoboken.seamlessdocs.com/f/gunbuyback, picking up a form at HPD headquarters, or printing out a form at www.hobokenpdnj.gov. All firearms must be listed on the registration form. Registrants do not need to provide identification and can remain anonymous.
“On behalf of Moms Demand Action of Hudson County, we want to thank the city of Hoboken for pursuing a gun buyback program as an approach to getting both legal and illegal guns out of our city without risk of prosecution — even if only one gun is collected, that’s one less gun that’s on our streets,” Amy Faucher and Councilwoman Emily Jabbour, co-leaders of Hudson County Moms Demand Action, said in a joint statement.
Anyone with questions about the gun buyback can call HPD Headquarters at 201-420-2100 x 3155.
