You are reading

Gun Buy-Back Event To Take Place in Astoria Saturday, As Shootings Are on The Rise

(Photo by Thomas Def on Unsplash)

Dec. 2, 2020 By Allie Griffin

The Queens District Attorney’s Office will offer cash to residents who forfeit guns during a gun buy-back event in Astoria Saturday.

Residents with firearms are invited to turn them in and remain completely anonymous— no questions asked.

The event comes at a time when shootings are up in New York City and across Queens.

In Patrol Borough Queens North — which covers precincts in the northern half of the borough from Astoria to Flushing — there were 60 reporting shootings for the year through Nov. 20, up from 39 for the same period a year ago.

There were 24 shootings in the 114th Precinct–which covers Astoria–for the year through Nov. 20, twice as many as the same period in 2019.

DA Melinda Katz said Saturday’s event could help prevent future shootings.

“Every gun turned in this Saturday is a potential tragedy averted,” Katz said in a statement. “This is the public’s opportunity to help us put a stop to bloodshed by turning in firearms.”

The event will be held at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, located at 23-20 Newtown Ave., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The District Attorney’s office, in partnership with the NYPD, will offer a $200 bank card for each operable handgun turned in and a $25 bank card for BB guns, air pistols, rifles and shotguns released. The bank cards can be used as a debit card for purchases or used to withdraw cash at ATMs.

There is a limit of three $200 bank cards per person, but participants can hand over as many guns as they would like.

Participants are required to bring their gun–unloaded–in a paper/plastic bag or shoe box to the church location. If transported by car, the gun must be in the trunk of the vehicle.

Firearms from gun dealers and active or retired law enforcement officials will not be accepted.

This event is being co-sponsored by Bishop Mitchell G. Taylor of the Center of Hope International (COHI), as well as the Community Church of Astoria and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church.

email the author: news@queenspost.com

2 Comments

Click for Comments 
ASensibleMan

And maybe we can sprinkle unicorn dust over Queens to prevent shootings. That’s just about as realistic as this absurd gun program. Liberals will believe anything just to avoid facing reality.

7
3
Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Queens election heats up as challengers push incumbents on crime, migrant crisis and economic policy

Oct. 30, 2024 By Czarinna Andres

As Election Day approaches, several key state and congressional races in Queens are drawing heightened interest, with incumbents facing challenges amid contentious debates over public safety, immigration, education and economic development. In a borough where most districts lean Democratic, Republican candidates are mounting campaigns that highlight divergent policy priorities and aim to sway voters concerned with rising crime and affordability.

Crunching the Queens crime stats: Grand larcenies down across borough, but car thefts rise sharply in southern neighborhoods

Oct. 30, 2024 By Ethan Marshall

The amount of reported grand larcenies across Queens dropped a significant amount across both northern and southern Queens during the 28-day period from Sept. 30 to Oct. 27, compared to the same period of time last year, according to the NYPD’s latest crime stats. Another notable trend over this period of time was vehicle thefts dropping sharply in northern Queens but increasing a large amount in southern Queens.