From June 27-30, any Fort Worth resident who wishes to surrender an unloaded firearm may do so at 4651 N. Main Street in Fort Worth from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
The Northwest Patrol Division Commander Dave Carabajal said that any firearm qualifies as long as it is intact.
The resident will receive a $100 Visa gift card in exchange for the firearm.
Carabajal said that the FWPD has hosted several of these events in the last several years and that nothing specific sparked this event. He also said that it was initiated by FWPD and not at the direction of the mayor or city council.
In the past, participation at the buyback events has varied. Carabajal said at one event 70 guns were turned in and at others only a handful.
FWPD will use proceeds from seized assets to fund the buyback program and gift cards.
He said the purpose of the program is to allow someone who has a gun and no use for it, such as one that was inherited, to have a safe way to dispose of it without it falling into the hands of a child or criminal.
The firearms will be destroyed by means of melting in a furnace, Carabajal confirmed.
If a resident wishes to participate in the buyback program but isn’t available next week, Carabajal expects another program will be held in late July.
Gun control measures have been advocated recently after the May tragedy at an elementary school in Uvalde.
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker signed on to a letter with other mayors from the state’s most populous cities urging Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special legislative session to pass measures such as “red flag” laws and universal background checks.
The Tarrant and Harris County commissioners courts also recently passed a resolution calling for a special legislative session to “protect our children from mass shootings.”
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) joined a bipartisan group of senators that voted in favor of what he calls “common sense legislation to protect America’s children, keep our schools safe, and reduce the threat of violence across our country.”
Cornyn was subjected to jeers and booing at the Republican Party of Texas Convention last week due to his support of proposed gun-related legislation.
###
Disclosure: Unlike almost every other media outlet, The Texan is not beholden to any special interests, does not apply for any type of state or federal funding, and relies exclusively on its readers for financial support. If you’d like to become one of the people we’re financially accountable to, click here to subscribe.
Kim Roberts
Kim Roberts is a regional reporter for the Texan in the DFW metroplex area where she has lived for over twenty years. She has a Juris Doctor from Baylor University Law School and a Bachelor's in government from Angelo State University. In her free time, Kim home schools her daughter and coaches high school extemporaneous speaking and apologetics. She has been happily married to her husband for 23 years, has three wonderful children, and two dogs.