Successful gun buyback in Houston, Tx., collects more than 800 firearms
Article continues below
As a result of the unprecedented response, the event, which began at 8 a.m. and was scheduled to end at noon, did not conclude until almost 7 p.m., when the last person collected a handful of gift cards.
I did not know what to expect, and the turnout was overwhelming, said Mayor Turner
Mayor Sylvester Turner and the Houston Police Department will announce a date soon for a second event.
"We used best practices to plan and hold today's event. I did not know what to expect, and the turnout was overwhelming," said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.
"The turnout demonstrates there are too many guns on our streets, and people want to get them out of their possession. The gun buyback is not the only solution, but we can and will make our streets safer and help reduce gun violence."
The successful event was a collaboration between Mayor Turner, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, and the Houston Police Department.
By all measures, it was one of the most successful gun buyback events in the nation, said Rodney Ellis
845
firearms were collected.
The gun buyback was no questions asked and the type and working condition of the gun determined the gift card amount. HPD will check each gun collected to determine if it was stolen or used in a crime. HPD will destroy all guns that cannot be returned to their rightful owners or not considered evidence in a crime.
"I am so proud of our city. People can say what they want, but time and again, Houstonians step up with common sense and love. I thank all the men and women in uniform and the volunteers who made this day successful. I knew there would be a lot of people, but even I did not think there would be this many people the first time," said Houston Police Chief Troy Finner. ■