City to hold gun buyback at Municipal Courthouse May 11

Apr. 26—The city of Santa Fe will hold a gun buyback event next week at the Municipal Court.

The "Guns to Gardens" event, from 9 a.m. noon May 11, is a partnership between the city, the Santa Fe Police Department, the First Judicial District Attorney's Office and New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence, a gun safety nonprofit that has held similar events in Santa Fe and cities throughout the state.

"We know from past experience that buyback programs are one effective way to get guns off our streets," Mayor Alan Webber, an outspoken proponent for gun control, said in a statement. In this particular buyback program, "they literally turn weapons into garden tools," he said.

No information will be collected on people who surrender weapons, which must be unloaded and in working condition. People can surrender as many firearms as they would like, the release said, but 3-D printed guns will not be accepted.

In exchange, people will be offered gift cards purchased by New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence to Brewer Gas, Target, Walmart, Amazon or Smith's. People will be offered $100 for long guns, revolvers and pistols, $200 for semi-automatic firearms and $250 for assault-style weapons.

The buyback will also accept so-called ghost guns, firearms that do not have serial numbers and are therefore untraceable but will not offer any compensation for them.

Participants are asked to remain in their cars and to bring firearms in the trunk of their vehicle if possible. Once the buyback is complete, police will run the surrendered guns through a database to ensure none of them are stolen. Any stolen property will be returned to its rightful owner.

Ammunition will not be accepted.

New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence will also offer free gun locks at the event.