The Denver Broncos, a neighborhood non-profit group, metropolis council members from Denver and Aurora, and town’s police departments are partnering in taking weapons off the streets via buyback occasions this yr.
Denver Broncos huge receiver Diontae Spencer is aware of first hand the ache, loss and struggling concerned with gun violence, having misplaced his father to a capturing.
“It’s necessary for me to talk about gun violence prevention as a result of it’s one thing I personally handled,” Spencer stated in a Broncos information launch. “My dad was killed on account of gun violence, and it took me some time to speak about it as a result of I had a variety of anger constructed up inside me. Now I take a look at it as an amazing alternative as a result of it may assist any individual. If we will educate ourselves and the subsequent technology on how critical this difficulty is and stop gun violence, then I really feel like we will achieve a optimistic consequence.”
Denver District 5 Metropolis Councilmember Amanda Sawyer and Aurora At-Massive Councilmember Curtis Gardner are partnering with the non-profit RAWtools and native police to host eight gun buyback occasions within the metro space. The primary occasion will likely be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday March 19 at Mile Excessive Monument at Empower Discipline at Mile Excessive.
Weapons turned in will likely be transformed into backyard instruments and jewellery.
“There will likely be a sister occasion held on the identical location later that day the place a gun will likely be changed into a backyard device and group voices will share how their lives have been impacted by gun violence,” the discharge stated.
RAWtools, a gun violence prevention group, was chosen this yr by Broncos gamers to obtain a grant via the group’s Social Justice Fund. RAWtools affords nonviolence workshops all through the state specializing in bystander intervention, de-escalation, restorative justice, and extra.
The upcoming buyback occasions will likely be a drive-thru mannequin, the place members should stay of their car. Unloaded firearms are to be introduced within the trunk or again seat of a car and eliminated by a RAWtools consultant. Ammunition is not going to be accepted, however gun instances and locks will likely be accepted. Donated gun locks will likely be redistributed to the group at a later time.
Information media will not be permitted on the occasions, so these donating firearms could preserve anonymity, in line with the information launch.