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Gun buy-back returns to city
By:Michael Holtzman, Herald News Staff Reporter
05/19/2007
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FALL RIVER - A church is a place for guns. On Saturday, that is.
The First Congregational Church, headed by its senior pastor the Rev. Robert P. Lawrence, continues its "Gun Buy Back" program from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the stately church between Cherry and Rock streets. The program marks a tradition of citizen protection that dates back more than a decade.
If the goal of buying back another 200 handguns, rifles and other firearms can be reached, Lawrence said it would bring number of guns taken in and destroyed to approximately 2,500.
He asked that peoople come to the Cherry Street entrance of the church to turn in their weapons - no questions asked - in exchange for a pair of $25 food gift certificates redeemable at Shaw's Market for each gun.
"The assurance we give the people is that they are destroyed. That's our promise to the community," he said.
The gun amnesty program, practiced throughout the country, gives any person with a gun the opportunity to turn it in without fear of reprisal or prosecution.
Lawrence and Police Chief John Souza said they have no illusions this effort will immediately make the streets safer. "It isn't the gang-bangers' guns (being turned in). But every gun is an accident waiting to happen," Souza said.
Typically, most citizens taking advantage of the gun buy-back are middle-aged or older, ridding their homes of guns they're looking to dispose of, maybe after a child or spouse left them behind, the chief and pastor said.
Inside Lawrence's church, where a wooden sign post hangs with an empty western holster, and a message painted on it has the irreverent message "hang your guns here," the atmosphere is welcoming. The church is adorned like a museum with memorabilia from all over the country and the world. There's a particular flavor of the wild west.
Why have so many people turned in their guns at Lawrence's church?
"I think they like the anonymity of a church, rather than a police department," he said.
He said one widow, perhaps nine or 10 years ago, feared going into her basement where her late husband's gun collection was kept. He arranged for a police officer to go to her home. "There were 26 weapons in her basement," Lawrence said.
"She was happy. The police were happy. I was happy. And there were 26 guns we didn't have to worry about," he said.
One of the funnier stories happened a few years ago during the gun buy-back when a man in a tan-colored station wagon set up shop on Cherry Street as people filed in to trade their guns for food certificates. "He was offering them $75-100 cash for their guns," Lawrence chuckled, recalling the man's fate.
"The Police Department took care of this. He was long gone," the pastor said.
The city Police Department does play a key role in taking back the guns at the church. When each weapon is brought in, it's placed on a table and one of the uniformed officers checks it in case it's loaded. Serial numbers are taken down and records are checked to see if the gun is stolen. But the individual who brought it in always remains anonymous, Lawrence and Souza stressed.
Within a few weeks, the guns are brought to a foundry in Johnston where they are destroyed.
"We have found that the most guns are turned in the Saturday before Thanksgiving because most people would rather have a turkey than a gun," Lawrence said.
But with a recent rash of violent crime and the church pastor of 23 years eyeing retirement at the end of next month, the timing was right to offer the buy-back, which was last done in 2005.
"It's been quite successful," Lawrence said. "More than that, it makes a statement that in a free society there is no place for weapons."
"I do praise the Rev. Lawrence for his continued support," Souza said. "I hope people will come out and we'll get a number of guns off the street."
Told their goal is to collect 200 guns on Saturday, Souza said, "That would be wonderful."
E-mail Michael Holtzman at [email protected].
Gun buy-back returns to city
By:Michael Holtzman, Herald News Staff Reporter
05/19/2007
Email to a friendPost a CommentPrinter-friendly
FALL RIVER - A church is a place for guns. On Saturday, that is.
The First Congregational Church, headed by its senior pastor the Rev. Robert P. Lawrence, continues its "Gun Buy Back" program from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the stately church between Cherry and Rock streets. The program marks a tradition of citizen protection that dates back more than a decade.
If the goal of buying back another 200 handguns, rifles and other firearms can be reached, Lawrence said it would bring number of guns taken in and destroyed to approximately 2,500.
He asked that peoople come to the Cherry Street entrance of the church to turn in their weapons - no questions asked - in exchange for a pair of $25 food gift certificates redeemable at Shaw's Market for each gun.
"The assurance we give the people is that they are destroyed. That's our promise to the community," he said.
The gun amnesty program, practiced throughout the country, gives any person with a gun the opportunity to turn it in without fear of reprisal or prosecution.
Lawrence and Police Chief John Souza said they have no illusions this effort will immediately make the streets safer. "It isn't the gang-bangers' guns (being turned in). But every gun is an accident waiting to happen," Souza said.
Typically, most citizens taking advantage of the gun buy-back are middle-aged or older, ridding their homes of guns they're looking to dispose of, maybe after a child or spouse left them behind, the chief and pastor said.
Inside Lawrence's church, where a wooden sign post hangs with an empty western holster, and a message painted on it has the irreverent message "hang your guns here," the atmosphere is welcoming. The church is adorned like a museum with memorabilia from all over the country and the world. There's a particular flavor of the wild west.
Why have so many people turned in their guns at Lawrence's church?
"I think they like the anonymity of a church, rather than a police department," he said.
He said one widow, perhaps nine or 10 years ago, feared going into her basement where her late husband's gun collection was kept. He arranged for a police officer to go to her home. "There were 26 weapons in her basement," Lawrence said.
"She was happy. The police were happy. I was happy. And there were 26 guns we didn't have to worry about," he said.
One of the funnier stories happened a few years ago during the gun buy-back when a man in a tan-colored station wagon set up shop on Cherry Street as people filed in to trade their guns for food certificates. "He was offering them $75-100 cash for their guns," Lawrence chuckled, recalling the man's fate.
"The Police Department took care of this. He was long gone," the pastor said.
The city Police Department does play a key role in taking back the guns at the church. When each weapon is brought in, it's placed on a table and one of the uniformed officers checks it in case it's loaded. Serial numbers are taken down and records are checked to see if the gun is stolen. But the individual who brought it in always remains anonymous, Lawrence and Souza stressed.
Within a few weeks, the guns are brought to a foundry in Johnston where they are destroyed.
"We have found that the most guns are turned in the Saturday before Thanksgiving because most people would rather have a turkey than a gun," Lawrence said.
But with a recent rash of violent crime and the church pastor of 23 years eyeing retirement at the end of next month, the timing was right to offer the buy-back, which was last done in 2005.
"It's been quite successful," Lawrence said. "More than that, it makes a statement that in a free society there is no place for weapons."
"I do praise the Rev. Lawrence for his continued support," Souza said. "I hope people will come out and we'll get a number of guns off the street."
Told their goal is to collect 200 guns on Saturday, Souza said, "That would be wonderful."
E-mail Michael Holtzman at [email protected].
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