Buffalo Police: Your Family Member Died, Please Give Us Their Gun ... NOW

11/14/2014

Cross-referencing obituary to permit holder database

In a new attempt to reduce the amount of guns on the street, police in Buffalo, NY are going after deceased pistol permit holders.  

Last week at a press conference, the BPD told reporters that a majority of guns used in crimes seem to come from guns stolen from homes.  This led to the new program of confiscating guns of the recently-deceased in order to make sure the guns do not make their way to the streets.

"We recently started a program where we're cross referencing all the pistol permit holders with the death records, and we're sending people out to collect the guns whenever possible so that they don't end up in the wrong hands," said Police Commissioner Daniel Derrenda. "Because at times they lay out there and the family is not aware of them and they end up just out on the street."

According to WGRZ, some police agencies give family members of a deceased permit holder a mere 15 days to sell or transfer the weapons to other permit holders or dealers.

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