Gun buy-back program aims to get weapons off New Jersey streets

TRENTON, N.J. (WPVI) -- Efforts are underway in New Jersey to take more guns off the streets.

On Friday and Saturday the state is holding a gun buy-back program at three sites around the state.

Residents can turn in up to three guns, no questions asked, and make a few dollars at the same time.

Action News was at Friendship Baptist Church on Perry Street in Trenton Friday morning.

All types of shotguns, rifles and handguns were coming in.

After the doors opened at 8 a.m., hundreds of people showed up to turn in guns.

They got paid up to $200 per weapon.

"It was left by my father-in-law after he passed away, and I really don't have any use for it," said Joe Bordas of Robeling, N.J. "My main concern is I don't want to see it end up in the wrong hands."

"They belong to my boyfriend who passed away," said Donna Foster of Freehold, N.J. "I don't know what to do with them, so I figured this is a good way to dispose of them."

You can bring up to three weapons to the 2-day buy-back.

Each one is inspected outside. A police officer then brings you to the weapons processing center, where the guns are tagged and logged in.

"We needed to do something to try to get the guns off the street so that they don't get stolen and so they're not used in crimes," said Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri.

Rifles and shotguns bring a $100 payout.

You can get $120 for a handgun or revolver and $200 for an assault weapon.

There's no cost to taxpayers. This is forfeiture money.

"We found we turned in a shotgun and a rifle, and we are going to take the money we got for them and we're going to for an anniversary dinner," said Don Kamienski of Florence, N.J.

"Oh, they're antiques," said Ali Toles of Trenton. "They were my grandfather's."

Toles said it was actually his uncle who wanted to get rid of the weapons, because "he's scared to come down, so he sent me."

In addition to Trenton, there is another drop-off site in Newark, N.J. and a third in Camden at the Antioch Baptist church on Ferry Avenue.

The buyback runs Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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