TRENTON — A state-sponsored gun buyback program in the city netted 2,600 firearms in two days, Mercer County Prosecutor Joseph Bocchini Jr. said.
Police officers examine guns during day two of the gun buyback program at the Pentecostal Assembly of God in Trenton on Saturday, January 26, 2013. Andrew Miller/For The Times of Trenton
Participants received $25 for BB guns, $50 for inoperable guns, $150 for revolvers, rifles, semiautomatic handguns and shotguns, and $250 for assault rifles and illegal guns.The buyback allowed people to exchange weapons for cash at two city locations without showing ID or paperwork.
At least 25 percent of the guns received were illegal weapons such as sawed-off shotguns, Bocchini said.
So many people turned out for the buyback that the county ran out of cash to give participants, Bocchini said.
Originally, $170,000 in state and county funds were allotted for the program, Bocchini said.
After that money ran out Friday, the attorney general and county prosecutor’s offices authorized an additional $75,000 to fund the buyback, Bocchini said.
Once that money dried up by noon Saturday, officials resorted to handing out vouchers. Participants can redeem the vouchers for cash on Friday.
The county is still tabulating the total amount of money spent on the program. The result will be released during a Tuesday news conference.
Contact Emily Brill at (609) 989-5731 or ebrill@njtimes.com.
