Hamden hosted its first successful Gun Buy Back event collecting over 149 rifles, pistols and handguns. The event was held in an attempt to make the community of Hamden more safe and prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands.
Often times, unwanted guns are inherited or left unsecured in homes.
“There are a lot of guns that people don’t really want in their houses,” Chief of Police John Cappiello said. “And I also think what works well is when people pass on or people get older and start having some other mental health issues, people don’t really know what to do with the guns, so they just put them in the closet. So this gives them an opportunity to get them out.”
Several rifles were collected at the event, along with other various types of guns.
Courtesy: Kailee Heffler
Overall, the event collected more than 149 guns, making it a bigger turnout than had been expected.
“I don’t think it could have gone better,” Cappiello said. “I didn’t know what to expect since this was our first time doing it. We were a little worried we wouldn’t get anybody, so when we did see people lining up it made us feel a little better, but I didn’t expect to get the numbers we got.”
Once the guns are turned in, Hamden police will sort through them. Depending on the type of gun, some will be turned into the state, while others will be destroyed.
“The pistols will be gone through and will go to the state for test firing,” Cappiello said. “The rifles will be destroyed. And eventually the handguns will too, once the handguns are test fired by the state and found not to be involved in any type of crime.”
Other communities in Connecticut have hosted successful Gun Buy Back events, which prompted Hamden town officials to host one of their own. The process to plan this event took almost a year.
“We talked about it because we have seen these events in other communities and they have been successful,” Mayor Curt Balzano Leng said. “Pina (Violano) from Yale New Haven Health came to us and said this is something we could do in Hamden. Our new police chief, along with Adam Sendroff, our Community Development Manager, and myself have had communications with her for the better part of a year to put it together.”
Events like the Gun buyback are important in keeping the community safe.
“You really can’t put a value on it,” Leng said. “It’s invaluable. When we had meetings to talk about what a successful event would look like, one gun would be a successful event.”
Executive Director of Connecticut Violence Intervention Program in New Haven Leonard Jahad was excited to see the Hamden community participating in the event.
“I’m very proud of Hamden because they are getting rid of guns that may get from the streets out into the hands of people who should not have guns,” Jahad said. “I am extremely proud.”
Free gun locks and car safes were also provided for owners who did not want to dispose of their guns, but safely secure them.
The Gun Buy Back was an anonymous event. In exchange for turning in their guns, residents and nonresidents of Hamden received gift cards to various locations.