Gun Buyback Program Announced For Mercer County Residents - Philadelphia News, Weather and Sports from WTXF FOX 29

Gun Buyback Program Announced For Mercer County Residents

A gun buyback program taking place later this month for residents of Mercer County will be the second such event in two months in New Jersey.

The new gun buyback program comes on the heels of a two-day program in Camden last month that netted more than 1,000 guns, including a number of assault rifles.

The $100,000 state-sponsored event is scheduled to be held at two churches, the Pentecostal Assembly of God Church and the Greater Mount Zion AME Church, on Jan. 25 and 26. Organizers say residents can receive a cash payment of up to $250 per weapon.

New Jersey Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa announced Thursday that police officers will be stationed at the two churches to collect and secure guns.

The Attorney General's Office will pay for the buyback, Chiesa said, with forfeiture funds obtained by the Division of Criminal Justice, meaning there is no cost to state taxpayers.

"As we all know - and as we were tragically reminded in December with the Sandy Hook shootings -- there are just too many guys out there and too many people dying as a result of gun violence," Chiesa said during a news conference. "If we can save one life through this initiative, then it's money well spent."

Residents with questions about the gun buyback program can call the Attorney General's Citizen services unit at 609-984-5828. Additional information is available online at: www.nj.gov/guns.