Essex County Prosecutor Paula T. Dow today announced that more than 700 guns were turned in as a result of last week’s gun amnesty buyback program for the cities of East Orange, Irvington, and Newark. County residents turned out in record numbers at designated churches and received up to $200 per weapon.
Prosecutor Dow made the announcement at a press conference at the Essex County Prosecutor’s Crime Scene Unit in Orange where she was joined by Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Newark Police Director Garry McCarthy, East Orange Mayor Robert Bowser, East Orange Police Chief Ron Borgo, Irvington Mayor Wayne Smith and Irvington Police Director Joseph Santiago. Also in attendance were Reverend Leonard Santucci, of the Saint Paul AME Church of East Orange and Reverend Ron Christian, of the Christian Love Baptist Church of Irvington.
The Gun Amnesty Buyback Program pays up to $200 to persons who turn in rifles, shotguns, semi-automatic pistols, revolvers, automatic handguns, or assault rifles, with no questions asked. The sum of $75,000, through forfeiture funding, was allocated for the program. The source of forfeiture funds emanated from criminal enterprises. In addition, the cities of Irvington and East Orange appropriated an additional $7,000 each for the program, while the city of Newark received an additional $16,000 in private donations.
"The Essex County Gun Amnesty Program was a tremendous success. We witnessed huge turnout’s at all four churches where residents relinquished more than 700 dangerous weapons from their homes," said Prosecutor Dow. "The best thing money can buy is saving a life. If we can save one life through this program, it is clearly money well spent."
The gun amnesty program took place on December 17and 18. Four churches were selected as surrender sites for firearms. Irvington brought in 225 guns and was forced to shut down their operation, after running out of funds, by 6:15 PM on the first day. East Orange brought in 207 guns and closed their program at 10:30 AM on the second day of operation. Newark brought in 279 guns and was forced to close their program by 2 PM on the second day.
Dow referenced a recent example of an accidental fatal shooting involving two Newark teenagers. On August 14, 2008, a 15-year-old boy was sleeping in his Newark second-floor apartment when his neighbor, directly below, began fiddling with a rifle. The gun fired and cut through the first-floor ceiling and the upstairs bedroom floor, tore through a mattress and struck the 15-year-old in the back of the head. The victim was taken to University Hospital and pronounced dead a short time later. The shooter, a 19-year-old Newark man surrendered to police a few hours later after fleeing to his girlfriend’s home. This defendant had no prior criminal record. As result of this senseless shooting, the defendant pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a weapon and was sentenced in September, 2009, to five years in State Prison.
Dow noted that in 2008, the crime of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon was elevated from a third-degree offense to a second-degree offense. This significantly changed the criminal penalties associated with walking the streets with a firearm.