Chicago police gun buyback event draws long lines to St. Sabina Church in Auburn Gresham
People received $100 for each gun
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Promising complete anonymity, people voluntarily lined up to turn guns over to the Chicago Police Department on Saturday.
"What we are really doing is making Chicago homes much safer," said Glen Brooks, CPD Director of Community Policing.
Guns of all sizes were inspected and processed in the basement of St. Sabina Church on the city's Auburn Gresham neighborhood, in exchange for cash.
People received $100 for each gun turned in and $10 for a BB gun, air gun or replica gun.
"One of the things that I've been seeing, and it's just September, we have a lot of kids who are bringing guns to school because they know where mom, dad, grandpa leave their guns because not everybody secures their guns. This is one of the ways we can prevent that from happening," said Commander Michael Tate, CPD 6th District.
The church is partnering with CPD's 6th District for the No Questions Asked gun buyback event.
"It's a mother who finds a gun in their child's room and says I want to get rid of this. They come turn it in. Sometimes it's a young man who says hey I want to turn my life around, I want to get rid of this, I think this gun may be dirty," said Rev. Michael Pfleger, St. Sabina Church pastor.
Beginning in 2008, Chicago police typically hold at least two gun buybacks a year.
"There's over 30,000 weapons that have been turned in, in that time. Those are 30,000 weapons that were in people's homes, that were abandoned, no longer wanted and dangerous and we've gotten those weapons off the streets," said Brooks,
Pfleger said any bit helps.
"Right now, it's become the first line of defense. You're mad at somebody, road rage, domestic violence, at the job, in church, guns are the first thing people are going to, and that's madness," said Pfleger.
The Chicago Police Department said the event took in 275 live firearms and 61 replica firearms.
