Arlington Police To Hold Gun Buyback Day

ARLINGTON, MA — The Arlington Police Department will host a "Safer Homes, Safer Community" gun buyback at the Winchester Country Club on Saturday, Oct. 2.

The event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the lower tennis court parking lots and provide an opportunity for residents to safely dispose of unwanted guns. Removing unwanted and unsecured firearms from homes reduces the chances of accidental discharge, self-harm and theft, the department said.

This year's event will be held in conjunction with the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office (MSO), Winchester Police Department, Arlington Human Rights Commission and local community and faith-based organizations. Arlington police have partnered with the MSO and local entities to host three community-based gun buyback events since 2013.

"The success of these events has been thanks to our incredible partnerships with local community- and faith-based organizations," said Arlington Police Captain Sean Kiernan. "The Reverend Dr. Cynthia Good of the Cavalry Church and Reverend Leah Lyman Waldron of the Park Avenue Congregational Church have both participated in our previous buybacks. Fundraising efforts for these events have been solely provided by their churches and other faith-based organizations in town. These efforts are the reason these buybacks come to fruition."

In addition to the gun buyback day, the Arlington Human Rights Commission will focus on gun safety and violence during the month of September. This includes a webinar titled "A Conversation on the Intersection of Guns and Hate" on Thursday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. Residents may register in advance for the webinar at arlingtonhumanrights.org.

"Given the significant increase in gun purchases in Massachusetts during the pandemic, the success of previous buybacks in Arlington, and our programming planned for September, we believe this time could be a good time to do another buyback," the Arlington Human Rights Commission said.

Residents or businesses interested in finding out more information or making a donation may contact APD Special Projects Clerk Cheryl Nahigian at 781-316-3946.