'Goods for Guns' program still on

Officials are hoping that armed Philadelphians find it easier to pick up a bag of groceries than a gun.

To that end, state Sen. Vincent Hughes, Councilman Curtis Jones and Deputy Mayor Everett Gillison joined radio personality E. Steven Collins, Philadelphia Safety Net's Ray Jones and Solomon Jones of U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah's office in announcing the continuation of the "Goods for Guns" program, an initiative to get guns off the street by offering vouchers to those who turn in handguns.

"This whole effort is to do what we can to get guns off the street," Hughes said. The program, which started about 18 months ago, has accepted more than 1,900 turned in guns, he said.

"Fattah initiated the idea, but people were skeptical at first," Jones said. "But Fattah said that he believed in people's willingness to change; this is about what we can do on a grass-roots level."

A citizen who turns in a gun will receive two $50 vouchers to use at Shop-Rite and Forman Mills. Hughes and Curtis said the gun voucher/buyback program has a "no questions asked" policy.

Hughes said that the guns turned in previously were of all shapes, sizes and conditions, but that some were new and powerful.

"The officers involved are astonished at the weapons coming in," Hughes said. "We get 200 to 300 guns every time we do one of these."

The guns are then logged and melted down, said 19th District Capt. Melvin Singleton. Guns used in crimes will be fully investigated, he said, but the point of the program is to get guns off the street "by any means necessary."

"We experience a consistent level of violence here in West Philly," Singleton said. "This is part of a multifaceted approach."

"We'd rather have the guns off the street," Gillison said. "We encourage you to turn in the gun. Now, at least, we have the gun involved in the crime," and it can't be used in another crime.

Officials thanked Shop-Rite, along with radio stations WRNB and Power99FM.

"This is the most hopeful time for me, with partners coming together in a program that brings lots of possibilities," said Shop-Rite spokesman Jeff Brown. "Our hiring ex-offenders is one of the ways to fix the problems we have, and we'll be out here [supporting the gun-buyback program] for as long as it takes."

The gun buyback begins at 10 a.m. tomorrow at the Tustin Playground, 5902 Columbia Ave., across from Overbrook High School. Hughes said that he would help other community-based centers and institutions implement their own gun-buyback programs, if asked.

"Bring your weapons, drop them off right here at Tustin," Hughes said. "There will be no questions asked."