Phoenixville buyback program nets 73 firearms (11/29/11)
Posted November 29th, 2011 by admin
The original article can be found here.
Phoenixville buyback program nets 73 firearms
Published: Tuesday, November 22, 2011
By Frank Otto
fotto@pottsmerc.com
PHOENIXVILLE — A gun buyback event last week turned out to be a success, according to organizers.
Lou Beccaria. president and CEO of the Phoenixville Community Health Foundation, said the buyback held at Borough Hall netted 73 firearms. Included in that total were “eight or 10 rifles” and a sawed-off shotgun.
“Several people brought in multiple guns,” Beccaria said.
Phoenixville’s last buyback program was held more than three years ago, according to Beccaria.
Teaming with the Phoenixville Police Department were Mayor Leo J. Scoda, the Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County Inc. and others. The buyback program offered $50 gift certificates to local merchants for each “complete” gun, with a $250 limit placed for each individual.
The weapons that were turned in were slated to be melted down and destroyed at Arcelor-Mittal Steel in Coatesville.
The buyback went well enough that Beccaria said he and his partners have talked about doing the program more often.
“We’ve talked about the possibility of having one in two years,” Beccaria said. “We thought it went well enough that we should have one every two years.”