VIPD, Senators Partner for Territory-Wide Gun Buyback

Tradewinds staff
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The Virgin Islands Police Department and Sens. Dwayne DeGraff and Franklin Johnson conducted its Cash-For-Guns initiative Saturday on St. Croix. (Photo courtesy VIPD)

The Virgin Islands Police Department, working alongside Sens. Dwayne DeGraff and Franklin Johnson, collected 27 firearms — including four shotguns — during a Cash-For-Guns buyback event on St. Croix.

The initiative, held on Saturday at the St. Croix Agriculture Fair Grounds, also saw the surrender of hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a pellet gun, and a flare gun. More than $5,500 was distributed to participants turning in weapons as part of the effort to reduce gun violence and improve public safety, according to VIPD.

$5,500 was spent on acquiring and removing the weapons from the streets. (Photo courtesy VIPD)

The program continues with events scheduled for Saturday, March 22, at the Omar Brown Fire Station on St. Thomas and Saturday, March 29, at the St. John Annex (Legislature Building) in Cruz Bay, St. John. Both events will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the press release.

Twenty-seven firearms were turned in Saturday as part of the Cash-For-Guns initiative. (Photo courtesy VIPD)

The VIPD encourages residents to participate and help remove firearms from circulation to enhance community safety, the press release stated.