75 guns turned in at Watervliet gun buyback
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WATERVLIET, N.Y. (NEWS10)-- Over the weekend, 75 firearms were turned in at the Watervliet Gun Buyback. Attorney General Letitia Jame and the Watervliet Police Department hosted the buyback as part of an ongoing effort to combat gun violence in the state.
Locals brought in their assault weapons, handguns, and long guns and turned them over with no questions asked. Local officials like Mayor Charles Patricelli and Assemblymember Patricia Fahy agreed that the event and others like it have influential impacts on curbing gun violence.
In addition to the Watervliet buyback, 134 firearms were surrendered at a buyback in Ulster County. Since 2019, buyback events have removed more than 7,200 guns from the streets of New York state.
New York State Police assisted in the effort; Superintendent Steven G. James said they all share a goal to prevent tragedies and improve community safety. "Gun buyback programs can prevent firearms from falling into the wrong hands and are a complement to our overall strategy to reduce gun violence," he said.