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11/01/2022 02:34 PMA statewide gun buyback program will be launched in conjunction with Veterans Day by a coalition of a number of nonprofits and area Police Departments along with support from Guilford residents. These events will be held in six different Connecticut towns and will also be providing free gun safes for anyone who holds a valid handgun permit, a critical component of the criteria of Ethan’s Law, which was enacted in 2019 with overwhelming bipartisan support by the Connecticut State legislature as a result of the efforts of Guilford parents Kristin and Mike Song whose son Ethan was killed in a preventable accidental shooting in 2018.
The buybacks are all voluntary and no questions are asked when residents participate in the program, according to organizers. The event will also feature a unique aspect this year as free gun safes and gun locks will be offered as well.
Anyone concerned about privacy should note that in order to receive a gun safe you must show a current pistol/handgun permit, but you can cover your name when presenting this information and maintain absolute anonymity.
Guilford Chief of Police Butch Hyatt said his department is fully behind these types of programs, stating that the benefits of buybacks are multi-fold.
“The primary goals of this event has been to remove unwanted firearms from the community. By offering an event like this we can help gun owners who participate to get rid of those unwanted weapons,” Hyatt said. “Our gun buybacks have a dual purpose; not only to remove unwanted weapons, but to provide gun safes and gun locks for people. For those who don’t wish to get rid of their guns, but safely store them, we can facilitate that by providing that.”
Kristin Song, who along with the coalition helped organize the buyback, said that once gun owners understand how effective and easy gun safes are to use, most are convinced to get one and use it. These pin code and biometric safes are very easy to access, and anyone who has actually used one quickly understands how effective they.
“These gun safes whether by pin code or biometrics open in one second,” said Song. “Our motto is [that] you can protect your children from external dangers and, at the same time, protect them form internal dangers. There are a lot of gun owners who really just don’t understand that children find guns. Anything a parent hides is going to be found by a child.”
The idea of gun safety does not have to be a partisan issue, according to Song.
“This will be a statewide event, and this is pretty unique because not many states do this and [they] absolutely do not do the gun safe giveaway,” said Song. “I started one in Guilford after Ethan died, and the following year I said, ‘Why are we not giving out gun safes?’ because that would’ve saved Ethan’s life. So I really wanted to do a statewide event, because we really need to raise the conversation about safe storage of guns and about people feeling comfortable when their child goes to a play date or another home asking the question of whether they have a gin and whether its stored properly.”
Song said that getting past anxiety of gun owners who feel threatened by any law of action concerning firearms isn’t always easy, but one that once discussed, often finds common ground, according to Song.
“If there had been a gun safe, Ethan would still be alive. It’s as simple as that. We do not want to alienate gun owners; there is always push back from people saying ‘Why are you destroying guns?, but this is all voluntary. No one is harassing any gun owners. This is community event where we can stand with police departments and with gun owners to be responsible and safe,” said Song.
The specter of suicide and the availability of guns is also a factor for Song. The idea to opt for a Veterans Day event wasn’t random.
“We picked Veterans [Day] weekend because there are 17 veterans a day in this country who are dying by suicide and a majority are using weapons. And we need to bring that conversation out of the dark,” said Song. “These guys have been told their entire career to buck up, and trauma and [post traumatic stress disorder] PTSD is something you cannot run from. You need to deal with it or it will haunt you for the rest of your life. Just having those conversations to say that it’s okay to seek treatment is something we need to start having because it is so hard to overcome that on your own. So this is more than just a gun buyback, it’s also about information and raising awareness and elevating the conversation.”
Hyatt said that locks and safes should be integral for any gunowner’s safety plan.
“The type of weapons we see coming from homes are the types that are stolen in a burglary, or be sold illegally. If there is a mental health situation, we also see these types of weapons used in suicides. So, there are all great reasons for why we want to turn in those weapons,” Hyatt said. “We simply want residents to know that there is this option, and they can get rid of unwanted forearms, or they can get a device that will help them store it safely and hopefully prevent another crime or tragedy.”
The buyback events will occur on Saturday, Nov. 12 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the police departments in Guilford, Hartford, Middletown, Newtown, Stamford, and Waterbury.
Gift cards will be exchanged for operable guns including a floating rate of $25 for derringer style hand guns, all the way up to $200 for any assault style weapons. Any firearm is welcome to be dropped off, according to organizers.
The event is sponsored by the Newtown Action Alliance Foundation, Ethan Miller Song Foundation, Waterbury Hospital, Mothers Against Gun Violence, St. Mary’s Hospital, St. Francis Hospital, Yale New Haven Hospital, City of Waterbury, CT Children’s Medical Center, CT Against Gun Violence and Education Fund; and the Guilford, Waterbury, Hartford, Newtown, Stamford, and Middletown police departments.
The program is 100 percent anonymous, no ID is required (other than a valid CT pistol/handgun permit to receive a gun safe while supplies last), and no questions will be asked of participants.