New Jersey officials are trying to take firearms off the streets of Hoboken with a June buyback event, during which gun owners can get up to $350 cash in exchange for their weapons.
Residents can voluntarily surrender up to three guns with no questions asked, city officials said in a statement Thursday.
The event is scheduled to take place at Hoboken Police Headquarters from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 22, pending approval by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office’s.
The city will pay $350 for assault weapons and illegal firearms, while operable handguns will fetch $250. Firearm owners trading in shotguns and rifles can expect a $200 payout. Guns that don’t work will be bought for $40. BB guns are not included in the program.
In a statement accompanying news of the proposed buyback event, Mayor Ravi Bhalla acknowledged that gun violence isn’t as big of a problem in Hoboken as it is in other parts of the Garden State. However, the nearly 58,000-person city was rocked by the shooting death of 21-year-old former Rutgers University student and local football star Damon Murray late last month.
“I offer my sincere thanks to all law enforcement officials who took the time to review and consider this program,” Bhalla said. “I would also like to thank the residents who I spoke with following Damon Murray’s tragic passing, for supporting this decision.”
Prior to Murray’s death, it had been nearly two years since someone was murdered in Hoboken. A gym will be named in Murray’s honor this summer.
“If we take one gun off the streets, perhaps we are protecting one family from the devastation Damon’s family is going through today,” said Hoboken Public Safety Director Ken Ferrante.
Hudson County Moms Demand Answers advocate Amy Faucher and Councilwoman Emily Jabbour also praised Hoboken’s proposed buyback, but agreed in a joint statement there’s more work to be done.
“This short-term action item must be part of a broader vision for the City of Hoboken to invest in programs that meaningfully engage our youth to prevent future tragedies,” they said.
Those wishing to participate in the buyback have been asked to register ahead of the event by signing up online, picking up a form at Hoboken Police headquarters or printing out the form from the HPD website.
All firearms to be traded in must be listed on the registration, though participants are not required to provide personal identification.
Questions about the buyback can be directed to the Hoboken Police Department at 201-420-2100.
