Harris County Gun Buyback Program

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

Voluntary gun buyback programs allow gun owners to surrender personal firearms, usually to governmental law enforcement entities, in exchange for cash, a voucher, gift card, tickets to a professional sporting event, or a similar thing of value. Program goals are to take unwanted firearms out of the community, thus reducing the potential for them to cycle through illegal networks or end up as potential hazards in the home. The idea behind gun buyback efforts is that gun violence can be lowered by reducing the number of guns in civilian hands. In recent months, Harris County and similar sized counties across the nation have experienced an uptick in gun related violence and deaths.