TOTOWA, N.J., November 1, 2017 (Newswire.com) - In recent years, concerned resident Ken Sutiak has spoken with many other citizens about gun safety in their communities.
"After some of the events around the world, many people are looking for ways to unload their unwanted guns," Sutiak says.
For the past few months, Sutiak has been bringing awareness to communities about ways people can safely turn in their weapons.
He notes there are plenty of agencies and organizations that would take these weapons and either destroy them or give them to people who will use them correctly.
Amnesty Programs
Most police departments and other law enforcement and government agencies around the country have gun amnesty programs. This means you can turn in your unwanted guns and ammunition any time.
Many police departments encourage people to call ahead though, and you should check the program guidelines. In some cases, the police department might want to send someone to your home to collect your unwanted weapons.
Buyback Programs
Many cities around the country participate in gun buyback events. This means gun owners can swap their weapons for gift cards.
"Recently, the Cleveland Police Department exchanged handguns for a $100 gift card," Ken Sutiak explains. "Semi-automatic assault-style weapons were worth a $200 gift card."
Most of the gift cards in these programs are for local gas stations and grocery stores.
These type of buyback events help unwanted guns find a safe space but also gives those people on the fence about getting rid of their firearms more incentive to do so.
In other cities, tax credits and vouchers were given to those who turned in their unwanted firearm. Sometimes cash would be offered as well.
Donate To Training Programs
Law enforcement agencies and gun safety organizations around the country use guns in training. Some law enforcement agencies have limited budgets for purchasing weapons that are used in training exercises.
You can choose to donate an unwanted firearm and ammunition for use in their training.
Museum donations
"People do not believe that certain museum and collectors are looking for rare and unique firearms for display purposes," Ken Sutiak says. "But those people are out there."
The chances are low that a gun museum would want every firearm, but if a rare gun comes their way, they might want it for showing their visitors.
With this in mind, if you think your firearm is a rare piece, it's worth asking.
Gun Meltdown
"Local foundries can sometimes handle meltdowns," says Ken Sutiak. "You can contact those who handle meltdowns for the guidelines and timelines. They sometimes wait to do a meltdown when they have a large pile of guns to destroy."
You can arrange to have the firearm melted down yourself in that case.
Give Guns To Art Projects
Overall, no matter what kind of firearm you own, young or old, there is a way to get them off your hands, Ken Sutiak concludes. "Keeping these firearms out of the hands of criminals is our main priority."
This option may shock many people, but the trend is starting to become more popular in recent years.
Furthermore, there was an artist who has used unwanted guns to make shovels, which were used to plant over 1,500 trees. This artist also turned gun donations into musical instruments.
All in all, artists are always happy accepting the disabled weapons for art projects.
Source: Web Presence, LLC
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