Politics & Government

First Gun Buyback Weekend Starts Saturday

Donations funding program to purchase firearms from New London area residents

New London's gun buyback program will begin on Saturday and run for two weekends.

Mayor Daryl Finizio announced the program, which will be overseen by the New London Police Department, in January. The program runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday as well as March 9 and 10, according to The Day. The program will take place at the Truman Street substation.

The program offers $75 for rifles or shotguns, $100 for handguns, and $150 for assault weapons. Finizio previously said residents taking part in the program will not be charged for minor offenses, such as owning a firearm without a permit, but that it is not a general amnesty program since investigators will be checking the serial numbers of weapons to see if they were involved in major crimes.

Find out what's happening in Grotonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Once the guns have been turned checked and catalogued, officers will take them to the Connecticut State Police for destruction.

Private donors are funding the gun buyback, including the New London County Clergy Association and New London County Bar Association.

Find out what's happening in Grotonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Anyone taking part in the program should ensure that guns that are being turned in are not loaded. Residents should place any firearms in a clear plastic bag and place this in the trunk of their vehicle, so officers may retrieve the weapons from there.

Residents may also contact the police department to request an officer to pick up a firearm at their home. Deputy Chief Peter Reichard said this option will be done on a case-by-base basis and that residents would have to make arrangements to fill out paperwork at the substation.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here