Released: November 11, 2016
Originally published as a joint press release between New Mexicans to Prevent GunViolence (NMPGV), the Santa Fe Police Department, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’sOffice, the City of Santa Fe, and RAWtools
Join New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence (NMPGV), the Santa Fe Police Department, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Santa Fe, and RAWtools (http://rawtools.org/swords-to-plows/)
Following a successful fundraising effort by NMPGV this past summer, Nov.12 will mark the beginning of a statewide gun buyback campaign to safely get unwanted guns out of homes and off the streets. Over the coming year, Santa Fe Community College Industrial and Art Welding, Sculpture, Jewelry and Fashion faculty and students will transform unwanted, dismantled guns into garden tools and art.
According to the New Mexico Department of Health, 405 people were shot and killed in our state in 2015. This means that gun-related deaths in New Mexico increased 16.4 percent in the past year, marking the largest increase in gun deaths in decades. Additionally:
- New Mexico children are killed by firearms at a rate 60 percent higher than the national average;
- The majority of people in possession of unwanted firearms do not know how to dispose of them responsibly;
- Secondhand transfers of such firearms do not require transaction records or criminal background checks;
- Gun buyback programs are a proven way to safely and anonymously collect thousands of such weapons, immediately reducing the risk of gun violence in any community.
Please join us on Saturday, November 12, at the Santa Fe Police Station, 2015 Camino Entrada, Santa Fe NM 87507, from 9AM to 1PM . Merchant cards for gas, electronics, and food will be distributed in exchange for unloaded, working firearms. All exchanges are anonymous, and SFCC welding instructors will work with RAWtools to dismantle guns onsite.
For more information:
Contact: Matt Ross, PIO
Email: mross@santafenm.gov
Phone: (505) 955-6045
or
Contact: Miranda Viscoli
New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence (NMPGV)
Email: mirandaviscoli@gmail.com
Phone: (323) 394-1131
Santa Fe Community College celebrates its 40th Anniversary as the pathway to success for individuals and the community. SFCC provides affordable, high-quality programs that serve the academic, cultural, and economic needs of the community. The college welcomes over 10,000 students per year in credit, noncredit, workforce training, personal enrichment, and adult programs.
A “Best for Vets” and a “Military Friendly” school.
Visit sfcc.edu or call 505-428-1000.
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