Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg will be hosting a “no questions asked” gun buyback program in Harlem next week in an effort to make the streets safer before summer arrives, his office announced.
The buyback will be the first event of its kind organized by the Manhattan DA this year and is set to take place at Memorial Baptist Church on West 115th Street on June 10th. The event is being held in partnership with the NYPD in observance of Gun Violence Awareness Month.
The DA’s office will provide gift cards and devices such as iPads in exchange for the guns and will not ask questions regarding the firearms. Bragg himself is also scheduled to attend later in the afternoon.
“As we enter Gun Violence Awareness Month, we are reminded of the toll that firearms continue to take in our communities,” District Attorney Bragg said. “There are far too many people grieving due to gun violence, and we have an urgent responsibility to use every tool at our disposal to get guns off our streets. That includes direct investments in neighborhoods, collaboration with community partners and coordination with other members of law enforcement. I am pleased that this comprehensive approach has begun to lead to a steady reduction in homicides and shootings in Manhattan, but we have a lot more work to do, and I look forward to taking part in these events with my fellow New Yorkers.”
This buyback initiative will be one of many actions Bragg says his office will be undertaking over the course of the month to address gun violence. His office will be hosting a second annual conversation with faith leaders on June 16th to get feedback as to how guns, violent crime and other community issues are impacting Manhattan neighborhoods.
According to the DA’s office, actions like these have helped quell the number of shootings over the past year. Homicides reportedly are down 20% year-to-date in Manhattan, while shootings have dropped 18%. Bragg’s office also says that prosecutions have increased 19% since 2021.
The buyback will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 4 p.m.
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