HARTFORD, Connecticut — Several police departments and violence prevention organizations across Connecticut teamed up Saturday for the first annual statewide gun buyback initiative, dubbed "Keep Kids Safe."
Inside the Hartford Department of Public Works, the guns piled up one by one as people hoped their drop-offs serve a greater purpose in keeping their neighborhoods safe.
“I have two old shotguns and some bullets that I want to get rid of so they don't just be on the streets of Hartford," said Benjamin Coleman from Hartford.
As part of the initiative, people dropped off unwanted, operable guns in exchange for gift cards. Gun safes and locks were also given away.
"What we find is people with unwanted guns, they tend to sit around the house for years and years. People don't know what to do with the guns," said Sgt. Chris Mastroianni with the Hartford Police Department.
"It means that access to firearms by young children and teenagers or people who are depressed or suicidal, means if we take them out of their hands it's less likely to cause an injury or an accidental firing. And then lastly, if we don't have a firearm unsecured in home, they can't be stolen or taken away by somebody or acquired for an unlawful reason," said David Shapiro, a trauma surgeon at St. Francis Hospital.
Hartford and other cities have held gun buyback programs for years, but this year marks the first coordinated, statewide gun buyback initiative.
“Which I just think brought a lot of press, a lot of awareness to the event," said Sgt. Mastroianni.
"It speaks volumes, especially to the urban communities that our fight is not going unnoticed and that we got other people around the cities, around the state willing to fight with us," said Rev. Henry Brown, Executive Director of Mothers United Against Violence.
The Keep Kids Safe Campaign is organized by the Newtown Action Alliance Foundation, Ethan Miller Song Foundation and a long list of violence prevention groups.
“This allows us to engage and interact with our families and let them know how they can help get guns off the streets. Guns that are not supposed to be in the household. Guns that are not registered, not legal, we want to make sure those guns are being directed to where people can get rid of them," said Deborah Davis with Mothers United Against Violence.
Health systems were also part of the effort, including Saint Francis Hospital under Trinity Health of New England.
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"When someone is shot, we see it up front and close and we have to manage it, so if we can prevent even one, it makes us much more satisfied," said Shapiro.
People can drop off at several locations across the state from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., including:
GUILFORD POLICE DEPT 400 Church St (Anonymous, No ID, No Question Asked)
HARTFORD POLICE DEPT Location TBD (Anonymous, No ID, No Question Asked)
NEWTOWN POLICE DEPT 191 S. Main St (Anonymous, No ID, No Question Asked)
NORWALK POLICE DEPT 1 Monroe St (ID required)
WATERBURY POLICE DEPT Location TBD (Anonymous, No ID, No Question Asked)
Angelo Bavaro is an anchor and reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at abavaro@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
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