More than 160 guns — including 10 illegal weapons —were turned in to the Hoboken Police Department during a gun buyback promotion Saturday, Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla, Public Safety Director Ken Ferrante and Police Chief Steven Aguiar announced Monday.
Among the 166 firearms were 77 rifles/shotguns, 72 handguns (semi-automatic/revolver), 10 illegal weapons (handgun/assault rifle/sawed-off shotgun) and seven inoperable weapons, Hoboken public safety spokeswoman Marci Ruben said.
“Damon Murray’s tragic passing was a painful reminder of the impact of gun violence on our community, and I’m happy we are taking strong measures to take guns off our streets,” Bhalla said. “Thank you to the Hoboken Police Department, Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and Attorney General Matthew Platkin for working with my administration to host this successful buyback program.”
The event, held at Police Headquarters on Hudson Street, invited people to voluntarily surrender up to three firearms, with no questions asked, in exchange for cash payments up to $350 using American Rescue Plan funding.
“The gun buyback exceeded all of our expectations, and I thank all of those involved in organizing, approving, and operating the successful event,” Ferrante said. “We have said all along that if just one gun was collected, it would be one less potential weapon in our community, but in the end, we managed to secure dozens of firearms that otherwise could have been stolen and used in a crime or been accidentally found and fired by a child.”
Aguiar acknowledged that the buyback won’t eradicate gun violence, but “we have to do everything in our power to try to get illegal and unwanted guns out of our community. I thank my entire team for working so diligently to create a smooth, successful, and safe event, in an important effort to prevent senseless violence and tragedies.”
