OAKLAND COUNTY, MI. – The Oakland County Board of Commissioners will be voting tonight to determine whether to establish the Oakland County Gun Buyback Pilot Program. Introduced by Commissioner Charlie Cavell (D-Ferndale), Vice Chairwoman Marcia Gershenson (D-Bloomfield Township) and Commissioner Michael Spisz (R-Oxford), the program would provide funding to local law enforcement agencies to cover the costs of planning, hosting and administering gun buyback events in Oakland County. The events are being planned to take place during October 2022.

“We have been working with community groups and local law enforcement agencies for months to find appropriate ways the Board can be part of the solution to reducing gun violence,” Cavell said. “This pilot program will help us gauge community interest so we can continue well into the future with programming to make our communities a safer place to be.”

“These events are part of an ongoing Board of Commissioners effort to promote gun safety,” Gershenson said. “The Board has spearheaded initiatives to expand access to gun locks, promote safe gun storage through public service announcements and offer schools safety resources. We are looking to build upon these efforts to increase training opportunities for local police officers and decrease violence in our communities.”

Voluntary gun buyback programs provide a safe, legal way for residents to dispose of unwanted firearms and can help reduce the number of weapons potentially accessible to children, youth and vulnerable individuals. The Oakland County program will allow participants to receive gift cards in exchange for anonymously surrendering unwanted firearms.

Several local police departments have expressed an interest in hosting an event through the pilot program, including:

• Southfield
• Lathrup Village
• Auburn Hills
• Bloomfield Township
• Ferndale
• Royal Oak
• Berkley

The Oakland County Gun Buyback Pilot Program is a part of the Board’s commitment to reducing violence in the community. In addition, the Board recently established a $500,000 Crisis Intervention Training Pilot Program to increase local law enforcement agencies’ access to training that better equips police officers to assist individuals with mental health concerns and/or addictions.

For more information about the Board of Commissioners, please visit www.oakgov.com/boc or call 248- 858-0100.