CINCINNATI — The second round of a 12-month gun buyback program aimed at getting "community guns" off Cincinnati streets kicks off next week in Walnut Hills.
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, community members can trade unwanted guns for $50 and $100 grocery gift cards at the Brown Chapel AME Church on Alms Place in Cincinnati.
Street Rescue is the name of the new nonprofit firearms buyback program that targets people who know where guns are illegally hidden around the city. It’s a no-questions-asked exchange scheduled for the middle to end of each month — a time when people are strapped for cash, and trading in a gun can mean feeding a family.
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Charles Tassell and Dale Mallory launched the program last month in the wake of an uptick in Cincinnati violence and after they discovered that criminals hide their guns in public places like in parks, car tires, air conditioning units and mailboxes.
They collected seven guns at their first buyback in October at House of Hope Church on Elm Street. It's a small number, but Tassell said he believes six of them were guns hidden and shared on the street.
“That’s six guns that aren’t being used on the street,” Tassell said. “I think that’s a good start….I’d like to double that number."
CLICK HERE to learn more about how the program works and find out where “community guns” are hidden around Cincinnati.
