SPRING VALLEY ‒ The Rockland sheriff wants your guns ‒ and he’s willing to pay with pre-paid gift cards.

The community gun buyback will be held on June 6 from 3 to 7 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Church, 245 N. Main St. in Spring Valley. Partnering with the Sheriff’s Office are the Spring Valley and Ramapo police departments, the New York State Police, the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office, and all local law enforcement agencies.

Sheriff Louis Falco said removing illegally owned guns from the streets makes the public safer.

“Senseless gun violence continues to plague our county, state, and the entire nation,” Falco said. “Any firearms that we can remove from our streets can potentially prevent them from being used in criminal and other violent acts that negatively impact our communities.”

Spring Valley has the county’s highest number of violent crimes.

Guns can be turned in anonymously, no identification is required, and no questions are asked. Payments for surrendered guns will be made in prepaid gift cards: $250 for assault rifles; $150 for handguns, $75 for rifles or shotguns; and $25 for non-working or antique guns.

Firearms are to be transported unloaded and in the trunk of a vehicle. Licensed gun dealers and active or retired law enforcement are not eligible to participate in this program.

June is National Gun Violence Awareness Month.

Hochul says gun violence is down

Gun buyback events have been held by law enforcement across the state. Westchester County agencies are holding a gun buyback on June 1.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said this month that law enforcement across the state has made sustained progress in the fight against gun violence.

Hochul said shooting incidents with injuries and the number of shooting victims each decreased by more than 35 percent through April 2024, compared to the January to April average over the last five years, in the major metropolitan areas outside of New York City.

She said the reduction reflects: 84 fewer shootings (143 vs. 227); 94 fewer victims (170 vs. 264), and 13 fewer lives lost to gun violence (29 vs. 42), as reported by law enforcement agencies participating in the state’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative.

Hochul said these positive trends follow two years of progress, including a 35% reduction in shootings (816 vs. 1,262), 36% reduction in victims (963 vs. 1,508), and a 37% reduction in deaths (142 vs. 225) from 2021 to 2023.

Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police, and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com Twitter: @lohudlegal

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This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Rockland NY police to buyback guns June 6 to make streets safer