Summer Gun Buybacks for Newark, Trenton, and Camden

New Jersey Attorney General Christopher Porrino and Acting U.S. Attorney William Fitzpatrick recently announced gun buyback programs scheduled to take place in Newark, Trenton, and Camden. These events are scheduled to take place on July 28 and July 29, 2017, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., at the following locations: Greater Abyssinian Baptist Church in Newark, Friendship Baptist Church in Trenton, and Antioch Baptist Church in Camden. During the gun buybacks, New Jersey residents can turn in up to three guns, without any questions or legal consequence, and will receive $100 for a rifle or shotgun, $120 for a handgun or revolver, and $200 for an assault weapon.

The goal of the buybacks is to cut down on gun violence in New Jersey by specifically covering three sections of New Jersey in the north, central, and south. According to Attorney General Porrino, the collected firearms will be melted down. Porrino said that lawmakers want NJ communities “to be a place where children can play on sidewalks and people can take a walk and not be worried about being caught in crossfire.” Additionally, Porrino noted that New Jersey and federal officials will also renew focus on program “Triggerlock,” a program in which major firearms offenders arrested by municipal and state authorities are referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to face stricter prosecution under federal gun laws. For more information on the NJ summer buyback, call the Attorney General’s Citizens Services unit at (609) 984-5828 or visit www.nj.gov/guns.

During the buybacks, anyone who is turning in a firearm must still follow New Jersey’s other gun laws, specifically as the buyback relates to transportation of guns and carry permit laws. Concerning the transportation of firearms in New Jersey, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-6 sets forth that a firearm shall be carried unloaded and contained in a closed and fastened case, gun box, or securely tied package, or locked in the trunk of the automobile in which the weapon is being transported, and in the course of travel, shall include only such deviations as are reasonably necessary under the circumstances. A violation of the weapons transport laws will subject a person to charges for the unlawful possession of a firearm, which is a second degree crime for handguns and a third degree crime for rifles and shotguns, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5(b) and (c).

The bottom line is that strict compliance with New Jersey’s gun laws is required when it comes to transporting a firearm in New Jersey. If you have any questions about how to legally transport a gun or the potential consequences for weapons crimes in New Jersey, such as the unlawful possession of a firearm or the possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, contact the experienced New Jersey gun defense lawyers at the Tormey Law Firm.