Springfield Police Sgt. John M. Delaney said a line of people began queuing up before the start of the event, far exceeding his expectations for the gun buyback event.
A line snakes around the lobby of the Springfield Police Department, 130 Pearl St., during a gun buyback program Saturday that drew hundreds and collected more than 330 guns.
SPRINGFIELD — By contrast with what the Police Department's expectations were, the city's first gun buyback effort in five years on Saturday was huge, netting 333 guns during the seven-hour event.
"The city of Springfield and Hampden County is that much safer with these 333 guns out of homes and in safe hands," said Sgt. John M. Delaney, a spokesman for Springfield Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet.
Organizers ran out of $7,500 worth of $50 Visa gift cards in the first two hours, leaving them scrambling for $5,000 more with a long line of grumbling potential donors snaking around the lobby of the police station at 130 Pearl St. Later-comers were informed they would receive gift cards by presenting a voucher of sorts to Convenient Cards at Monarch Place starting on Monday.
Delaney said the line began queuing up before the 10 a.m. start of the event and far exceeded his vision of the numbers the invite would draw. "I've been doing research and I think Florida collected 129 guns once. We collected 100 during the first hour. This is historic," he said.
A team of police volunteers hustled to check in guns and ammunition and inventory the weapons in a room off the lobby. They primarily collected rifles including some extremely valuable ones.
"This is a World War II German rifle, John," Det. Juan Flores called out. "It should be looked at by the Springfield Armory. It's worth a lot; in the thousands."
Aside from the apparently valuable guns, the department plans to destroy the rest, Delaney said.
The department called for guns and ammunition, in bags or boxes, no questions asked, in return for $50 Visa gift cards. Delaney said the last collection drew about 70 guns; he was stunned by Saturday's response.
"I'm not sure if it's because of the economy or because Sandy Hook and other examples of gun violence are so much on people's minds," Delaney said. "Old guns are kept in basements and closets, and when somebody breaks in they're looking for money first, and guns second."
Allyn Peterson of East Longmeadow, a widower with a 5-year-old grandson, turned in a handgun and a rifle around noontime. "I don't do any shooting anymore, and I just wanted them out of the house," he said.
The initiative drew out-of-pocket sponsors including trauma surgeons and nurses from Baystate Health.
"A lot of our doctors and nurses donated out of their pockets and Baystate matched it," said Dr. Kevin Moriarty, medical director of pediatric trauma services at the health system. "Five hundred children across the country die each year from accidental gunshot wounds. If we can prevent one unintentional injury or death from this, it's a success."
Fitchet said the public safety value of the event is immeasurable. "There's probably no way to measure what we've prevented in terms of injuries or lives saved," the police commissioner said.