HISTORY. THEY TAUGHT ME A LOT ABOUT THEIR WEAPONS. THE BERNALILLO COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE AND NEW MEXICANS TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE PARTNERED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A GUN BUYBACK EVENT TO COLLECT UNWANTED GUNS FROM THE COMMUNITY. REPORTER JULIAN PARDUS TELLS US THE RESPONSE WAS HEARTWARMING. CSO PERSONNEL TELL ME THEY’RE INVOLVED IN THIS BUYBACK EVENT SHOULD SEND THE MESSAGE THEY ARE WILLING TO LISTEN TO THEIR COMMUNITY AND THE CONCERNS THEY HAVE ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE. WHAT ALSO STUCK OUT WERE THE KIDS HELPING OUT AND THEIR REASONS FOR BEING PART OF THIS ARE DEEP AND CLOSE TO THEM. IT’S IT’S SO NICE TO SEE THAT PEOPLE WANTED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES BY TURNING IN THEIR GUNS AND JUST TAKE TIME TO LISTEN TO THEM AND ALL THEIR STORIES. ANDERSON KNOWS ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE FROM A PERSONAL STANDPOINT, ESPECIALLY AT RFK CHARTER SCHOOL. WE LOST TWO OF OUR OWN FELLOW STUDENTS AT OUR SCHOOL. AND IT IT’S HARD WHENEVER I HEARD THAT NEWS. SO ANDERSON AND HIS FRIENDS DECIDED TO BECOME PART OF THE 18TH GUN BUYBACK EVENT IN ALBUQUERQUE. THE EVENT IS SPONSORED BY NEW MEXICANS TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE, WHERE GUNS ARE DISMANTLED AND TURNED INTO TOOLS LIKE THESE BY STUDENTS OF RFK CHARTER SCHOOL THEMSELVES. THIS IS ALSO THE FIRST TIME BERNALILLO COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE PARTICIPATED IN THE EVENT. IT’S IMPORTANT FOR US TO PARTNER WITH OUR COMMUNITY TO SHOW SUPPORT AS A SHERIFF’S OFFICE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY’RE HANDED IT APPROPRIATELY AND THEY’RE NOT GOING TO GET INVOLVED WITH UNUSED HANDS, UNSAFE HANDS. A TOTAL OF 156 GUNS WERE COLLECTED FROM THIS BUYBACK EVENT. PEOPLE PARTICIPATING GOT GIFT CARDS WORTH UP TO $250. ANDERSON SAYS HE DOESN’T WANT THE COMMUNITY TO SEE THIS AS AN EFFORT TO PRESSURE THEM INTO GIVING UP GUNS. WE’RE HERE TO SUPPORT AND RESPECT OUR COMMUNITY. THE WAY THEY ARE. IF THEY WANT TO SUPPORT GUN, WE ACCEPT THAT RULE, BUT RATHER EDUCATING THEM ON MAKING SURE FIREARMS ARE BEING USED SAFELY AND RESPONSIBLY. WE’RE NOT HERE TO BE JUDGING OR DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT. WE HONOR AND RESPECT OUR COMMUNITY BY ANY DECISION THAT THEY MAKE, AND I STAND BY THAT. NOW, THESE STUDENTS FROM RFK CHARTER SCHOOL HAVE BEEN CREATING GARDENING TOOLS AND HAVE BEEN PARTNERED WITH NEW MEXICANS TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE FOR MONTHS TO SPREAD AWARENESS ON GUN VIOLENCE ACROSS NEW
BCSO participates in gun buyback to raise gun violence awareness
New Mexico to Prevent Gun Violence and BCSO teamed up Saturday to raise awareness about gun violence and responsibility — the community came out to give back 156 unwanted firearms.
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Updated: 8:38 AM MDT Jun 4, 2023
Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence partnered for the 18th Gun Buyback event in Albuquerque. BCSO’s involvement in this buyback event should send the message they are willing to listen to their community and their concerns about gun violence. What also stuck out were the kids helping out. Their reasons for being part of this are deep and close to them.AJ Anderson knows about gun violence from a personal standpoint, especially at RFK Charter School. “We lost two of our own fellow students at our school and it's hard whenever I hear that news,” Anderson said. The event is sponsored by NMPGV, where guns are dismantled and turned into tools like these made by the students of RFK Charter School themselves. This is also the first time BCSO has participated in the event. “We want to make sure that they're handed in appropriately and they're not going to get involved with unused hands, unsafe hands,” BCSO Sheriff John Allen said.Anderson says he doesn't want the community to see this as an effort to pressure the community into giving up guns, but rather, educating them on making sure firearms are being used safely and responsibly. “We're not here to judge or do anything like that. We honor and respect our community by any decision that they make and I stand by that,” Anderson said.Students from RFK Charter School have been creating gardening tools and have been partnered with NMPGV for months to spread awareness on gun violence across New Mexico.156 guns were collected from the event. Over 1,700 have been collected over the years.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence partnered for the 18th Gun Buyback event in Albuquerque. BCSO’s involvement in this buyback event should send the message they are willing to listen to their community and their concerns about gun violence. What also stuck out were the kids helping out. Their reasons for being part of this are deep and close to them.
AJ Anderson knows about gun violence from a personal standpoint, especially at RFK Charter School.
“We lost two of our own fellow students at our school and it's hard whenever I hear that news,” Anderson said.
The event is sponsored by NMPGV, where guns are dismantled and turned into tools like these made by the students of RFK Charter School themselves. This is also the first time BCSO has participated in the event.
“We want to make sure that they're handed in appropriately and they're not going to get involved with unused hands, unsafe hands,” BCSO Sheriff John Allen said.
Anderson says he doesn't want the community to see this as an effort to pressure the community into giving up guns, but rather, educating them on making sure firearms are being used safely and responsibly.
“We're not here to judge or do anything like that. We honor and respect our community by any decision that they make and I stand by that,” Anderson said.
Students from RFK Charter School have been creating gardening tools and have been partnered with NMPGV for months to spread awareness on gun violence across New Mexico.
156 guns were collected from the event. Over 1,700 have been collected over the years.
