County collects hundreds of guns during buyback

County collects hundreds of guns during buyback

By Mark Zimmaro Staff writer, Burlington County Times 

| Posted: Sunday, April 14, 2013 10:00 am

EDGEWATER PARK — Hundreds of shotguns, handguns, hunting rifles and automatic weapons are now in custody.

Lines of gun owners stretched outside the Abundant Life Fellowship Church on Saturday as local residents turned in guns for cash as part of the Burlington County Sheriff’s Department’s gun buyback program.

Residents could fetch up to $150 per gun while turning in their firearms anonymously to the sheriff’s department.

They handed over their guns and received cash — no questions asked.

“This gun has been sitting in the rafters for more than 50 years,” said one resident who chose to remain anonymous, while handing in a double barrel shotgun. “There’s no use for it anymore and it’s unsafe to have it around.”

Many residents were in the same predicament. Several old long barrel rifles and shotguns that were once used for hunting were traded for a few bucks. More dangerous assault weapons and easily concealable handguns were also collected by the county.

“Handguns are used most in crimes and that’s what we are really trying to get off the streets,” County Sheriff Jean Stanfield said, noting that more than 100 handguns had been collected in the first half of the buyback.

Once the guns are turned in, the county will run serial number checks to see whether the guns had been reported stolen. Stolen guns will be returned to rightful owners and the remaining weapons will be destroyed, Stanfield said.

“We’ve had an excellent turnout and everyone has been very positive about the program,” Stanfield said. “Many comments from people said they’ve had the guns around the house for a while and they’ve been looking for a way to get rid of them safely and this is something they have been waiting for.”

The county paid $150 for assault weapons, $100 for operable handguns, and $50 for rifles, shotguns and inoperable firearms. Many residents left happy with heavier wallets. Some visited information tables or picked up a free gun lock to secure weapons at home.

About 150 gun locks were given out by noon on Saturday, officials said.

“If you have any weapons around your house, gun locks are a great way to make sure they are secured at all times, especially from children,” said Sheriff’s Agent Jackie Moore, who was manning the information table with fellow agent Robert Cragg.

Cragg said the goal was to get as much information out to the public as possible.

“We’ve had a good turnout and a line outside so we try to keep pushing literature and gun locks to anybody that might be waiting,” he said.

A small crowd of a half dozen protesters waited around most of the day to attempt to deter residents from turning in guns.

Carole Moore, a township resident and a member of the West Jersey Tea Party, was leading the charge outside the gates of the church on Route 130, waving large signs to drivers along the busy highway.

“We don’t think county money should be used to buy back firearms,” Moore said. “If (Stanfield) has so much extra grant money, she should be putting it into lowering real estate taxes in Burlington County.”

Carole’s husband, Bill, who is challenging Stanfield for the sheriff’s job in November, was also on hand protesting the buyback. Carole claimed his presence at the protest was not political.

She argued that the county was paying out-of-state residents for weapons.

“There’s no identification on the people who are bringing the guns in,” Moore said. “We have been counting cars and a lot of them are from Pennsylvania.”

Sheriff’s officers at the gates of the church said they only noticed “one or two” cars with out-of-state tags.

Stanfield said the collection was very successful, and there could be similar events in the future, depending on available funding as the event was paid for by forfeiture money and grants.

“It depends on funding,” Stanfield said. “If the funding is available for us from the prosecutor’s office and the Attorney General’s office, it would be something we would have to look at for the future.”