New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a significant collection of firearms during a Syracuse gun buyback event. According to the official release, the event resulted in 638 turned-in guns, including "130 assault weapons, 333 handguns, 2 ghost guns, and 150 long guns." This latest initiative is part of the Attorney General's broader efforts to combat gun violence in the state, with more than 9,000 guns collected since 2019.
In the wake of the event, Attorney General James emphasized the buyback's role in preventing potential tragedies. “Every one of the guns we recovered today was a potential life saved and a tragedy avoided. I thank the New York State Police, the Syracuse Police Department, and my partners in local government for their commitment to helping protect New Yorkers,” James told reporters. The partnership between the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), the New York State Police, and the Syracuse Police Department has been named a critical component to these efforts, with, local law enforcement praising the buyback program as a team strategy to drive down gun violence, as per the Attorney General's Office.
Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh highlighted the complementary nature of the buyback in the city's comprehensive strategy to reduce gun crime. “Gun buybacks have and should continue to be part of our approach in Syracuse. For people in possession of guns they no longer want, buybacks provide a safe way to dispose of those weapons, and that’s good for our neighborhoods. I thank Attorney General James for teaming with the Syracuse Police Department to administer this effective program in Syracuse,” Walsh asserted in a statement, as obtained from the same press release.
Commending the buyback's success, Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile expressed his thanks to the Attorney General's Office for arranging the event. According to Cecile, “Events like these, along with other proactive initiatives and the efforts of the hardworking men and women of law enforcement, are the best team strategy for driving gun violence numbers down while protecting our law-abiding citizens.” Lateef Johnson Kinsey, Director of the Mayor's Office to Reduce Gun Violence, also acknowledged the impact of these efforts. “We share a commitment to get guns off our streets because we know fewer guns will make safer neighborhoods. I’m grateful to Attorney General James for assisting our work with another gun buyback program. Without the help of Attorney General James, we could never undertake such an effort,” as noted by the Attorney General's Office.
