REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Approval of Budget Modification No. 17 in the total amount of $90,000 to the North County Gun Buyback Program
Report
BACKGROUND
On August 28, 2018, City Council approved Budget Modification No. 4 (RTC 18-0696) appropriating $55,000 to Project 833970-FY 2018/19 Gun Buyback Program. The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office contributed $25,000 and City Council contributed $30,000 from the Budget Stabilization Fund.
FY 2018/19 Administrative Budget Modification No. 3 appropriated an additional $20,000: $5,000 from each of the cities of Santa Clara, Los Altos, Mountain View, and Palo Alto bringing the total appropriation to $75,000 for the program. In addition to the monetary contributions, the four participating partner city agencies each provided sworn personnel the day of the event.
A gun buyback program provides the community the opportunity to voluntarily turn in firearms to law enforcement agencies, no questions asked, and receive compensation in return. The North County Gun Buyback took place as scheduled on September 29, 2018 and was considered a success, yielding a total of 567 firearms.
The Department of Public Safety (DPS) served as the lead agency and coordinated efforts with the Santa Clara, Los Altos, Mountain View, and Palo Alto Police Departments. The program paid $100 for each handgun, rifle, or shotgun, and $200 for each assault type weapon. Gun owners brought firearms to the event and law enforcement officers secured them. All firearms collected were destroyed.
This program received positive feedback from the community, both locally and countywide. Therefore, the Department of Public Safety has agreed to be the lead agency in a similar program for FY 2019/20 and is requesting $30,000 to be appropriated to fund the FY 2019/20 North County Gun Buyback Program.
EXISTING POLICY
Community Vision Goal IV Safe and Healthy Community: To maintain Sunnyvale's traditional high level of public health and sa...
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