Houston announces second gun buyback program for Oct. 8

Leaders with the city of Houston, Harris County and the Houston Police Department announced plans for a second gun buyback event to take place Oct. 8, giving residents the chance to anonymously trade in guns they no longer want in exchange for gift cards.

The event is scheduled to take place a little over two months after a similar event garnered 845 firearms. That event, hosted at the Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church near the Third Ward, exceeded city expectations and left at least 150 people still looking to turn in guns after the gift card supply was exhausted.

The Oct. 8 event is scheduled to take place at the Westchase Park & Ride, 11050 Harwin Drive, Houston, between 8 a.m.-noon, though Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said the end time may be extended if the event again attracts large crowds. The city is boosting manpower and the number of car lanes in use for the event to accommodate more people.

The second iteration of the event will work similarly to the first, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said at a Sept. 26 press conference. Participants can turn guns in anonymously with no requirement to show identification and no need to leave their vehicles. In exchange, they will receive gift cards based on the type of gun they turn in.

Unlike the first event, the city will not provide gift cards for privately manufactured guns, which are also called "ghost guns" or 3-D guns. Participants can turn those guns in, but they will not receive anything for them.

The gun buyback event is part of Houston's One Safe Houston plan to lower crime in the city. The city has dedicated $1 million in total to the gun buyback program, with funding coming from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

About $100,000 in gift cards was given out at the first event, and Turner said he expects a similar amount to be given out Oct. 8. Houston City Council approved using $539,000 to fill gift cards for future events in August. Some council members voted against the funding, citing concerns from Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg that by allowing people to remain anonymous, efforts to prosecute violent criminals could be impeded.

At the Sept. 26 news conference, Turner said if the city has taken one gun off the street that would have later been stolen or used to kill someone, the initiative will have been worth it.

"But we’re not satisfied until no one has been killed in our city and violent crimes are at their lowest, lowest point," he said.