Gary offers to buy guns off streets
by Lori Caldwell lcaldwell@post-trib.com | 648-3258 August 14, 2012 4:04PM
Updated: September 16, 2012 6:17AM
GARY — The city will pay cash for guns Saturday at nine locations throughout the city, offering as much as $100 for weapons in any condition.
“It’s all to prevent gun violence. Except for the fires, about 90 percent of our homicides are by means of gun violence,” Police Chief Wade Ingram said Tuesday afternoon.
Patrol officers, detectives and command staff members will be at the various churches to receive the guns.
“It’s all anonymous. We thought about asking for identification, but that would take the anonymity out of it,” Ingram said.
He said the buyback is not restricted to Gary residents.
“We don’t care where the guns come from,” the chief said.
Gift cards from WalMart will be given in exchange for weapons in these amounts: $50 for handguns, $75 for shotguns and rifles, $100 for assault-type rifles.
The buyback begins Saturday at 8 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. at these Gary locations:
Gary Christian Center, 3673 Broadway.
Grace Unity C.O.G.I.C., 3435 W. 21st Ave.
Trinity Missionary Baptist Church, 1831 Virginia St.
Victory Overcomers Outreach Ministries , 4400 Delaware St.
Marquette Park United Methodist Church, 215 N. Grand Blvd.
Beyond 4 Walls Church, 875 S. Lake St.
Black Oak Baptist Church, 6502 W. 25th Ave.
Moving in the Spirit Church, 4031 W. 11th Ave.
Pilgrim M.B. Church, 1301 W. 21st Ave.
