New Bedford gun exchange nets more than 100 firearms

New Bedford gun exchange nets more than 100 firearms
By Curt Brown / The Standard-Times  |   Monday, October 25, 2010  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Coverage
NEW BEDFORD — Organizers touted Sunday’s gun exchange as a huge success, saying it took about three times as many firearms off the streets as last year’s effort.

The Rev. David Lima, executive minister of the Inter-Church Council, one of the sponsors, called the community response overwhelming. Although the total number of firearms collected won’t be known until today, he projects it will triple the 41 firearms yielded at a similar gun exchange held last October.

Mayor Scott W. Lang said the number of firearms received in the first hour of this year’s exchange exceeded the total from last year.

"It was highly, highly successful," he said. "We got an amazing amount of citizen participation."

He said many of the handguns turned in were "Saturday Night specials."

"Taking them off the streets is good news for every parent in the city."

Lima said the increase in the reward for turning in a firearm, the depressed economy and better publicity all played a part in Sunday’s response.

Lima said they increased the amount of the supermarket gift cards from last year’s $50. Every person who turned in a functional handgun (revolver or pistol) received a gift card in the amount of $100 as well as a gift certificate for a large pizza at Domino’s Pizza, courtesy of owner Nelson Hockert-Lotz.

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