The City of Flint Police Department will offer cash for rifles and handguns at a gun bounty event on February 3, 12-5 p.m. at Cathedral of Faith Church in Flint. City of Flint residents can turn in firearms, no questions asked, for cash on the spot.
Cathedral of Faith Church is located at 6031 Dupont St. Flint, MI. No ammunition is allowed on the premises.
The gun bounty program is made possible by a grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. The program’s goal is to take and keep dangerous weapons out of circulation by offering the full street value of the weapons as an incentive.
Flint’s gun bounty program targets weapons that cause the most harm and offers residents the street value of weapons that are in working condition. Flint’s program does not accept inoperable guns that do not pose an immediate threat to public safety.
The City of Flint will hold all collected weapons while its partner Michigan State Police works to identify a solution for destroying guns. The City of Flint is still holding weapons collected during its September 2023 gun bounty event as well.
The gun bounty program is part of a holistic approach to reducing violent crime in Flint. When Flint’s homicide rate spiked in 2021, Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley declared a gun violence emergency and followed it up with a set of public safety initiatives.
Through grant funding, the Flint Police Department has implemented a cold case unit, a witness protection program, overtime pay for officers, and 24/7 operation of its intelligence center.
Since 2021, the City of Flint has seen a 40% decrease in homicides.