Email
Rich Bemis, evidence manager at the Santa Fe Police Department, lays out guns collected Saturday, during the city’s second gun buyback event. (Eddie moore/journal)
The Santa Fe Police Department accepted 224 guns during its second gun buyback Saturday.
The event ran smoothly, according to police officials.
Dozens of people wait in line Saturday to sell their guns to in Santa Fe’s second gun buyback. Another buyback is scheduled for March 9.
Police netted 123 handguns, 98 long guns and three assault weapons.
They distributed over $22,000 in Visa gift cards and issued an additional $7,100 in IOUs.
The city paid $150 for operational handguns, $100 for long guns, and $200 for high-capacity or assault weapons.
The buyback ran from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and police accepted weapons until closing time.
Officials were forced to pull the plug early during the city’s first gun buyback last month after running out of funding.
That buyback netted 123 guns. The city will hold its third buyback March 9. City officials turned away several people who tried to set up their own gun purchase or trade operation on the outskirts of the event, but there were no incidents, police officials said.
