Gun Buyback Event Planned for March 13
The organization New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence, with assistance from the Las Cruces Police Department, will host a gun buyback event March 13 at the East Mesa Public Safety Complex.
The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 13, at the East Mesa Public Safety Complex, 550 N. Sonoma Ranch Blvd.
Law enforcement officers will be on hand to safely accept handguns, shotguns and rifles that are in working condition. In exchange, New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence will provide gift cards – purchased and provided by NMPGV – that range in value from $100 to $250 depending on firearm.
The gun buyback will be a drive-thru event at the East Mesa Public Safety Complex. No questions will be asked, and no identification is needed to take part in the program.
• Firearms must be delivered unloaded, with clips or magazines removed and carried separately from firearms.
• Guns should be transported with the slide, or bolt, retracted and in an open position.
• The firearm should be placed in the trunk or backseat of your vehicle. Do not handle the firearm at the event or while in your vehicle. When you arrive, an officer will retrieve the weapon from your vehicle.
• Ammunition and explosives will not be accepted.
• Since LCPD and New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence are relying on anonymity, photography or video is discouraged.
• Juveniles and others not permitted to carry firearms should refrain handling a firearm.
• State law requires private sales of firearms to be processed through a licensed dealer who is required to conduct a federal background check on the buyer. No private transactions or sales will be permitted on premises.
• Any online solicitation of firearms – or the use of LCPD’s social media to solicit a transaction – is strictly prohibited. Anyone who uses LCPD’s social media to solicit a transaction may be banned from that site.
• Those who need assistance can contact an officer upon arrival.
Firearms collected during the event will be entered into the National Crime Information Center. Firearms that match an NCIC entry will be placed into evidence. Firearms determined to be stolen will be returned to their rightful owner. Eligible firearms will be destroyed in compliance with applicable state statutes.
