Central Mass. Gun Buyback Day Set For Dec. 10

WORCESTER (CBS) – Sixteen cities and towns in Central Massachusetts plan to participate in a gun buyback program  from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 10.

Advocates of gun buybacks say the program helps to lower the number of suicides, fatal domestic violence incidents and accidental shootings. Last year's gun buyback event in Central Mass. collected 340 weapons.

Participating towns and cities for the 15th annual "Goods For Guns Day" include Worcester, Westboro, Northboro, Southbridge, Leicester, Leominster, Barre, Fitchburg, Oxford, Dudley, Millbury, Grafton, Charlton Spencer, Northbridge and Webster.

Gun owners from any city or town can drop their weapons off anonymously at a participating police station. The police departments are offering gift cards worth $25 per rifle, $50 per pistol and $75 for semiautomatic weapons.

Realistic toy guns and replicas will also be accepted.

Residents are advised to call their local police departments for information about buyback hours.

Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty said in a statement that he's pushing for Massachusetts to declare a statewide gun buyback day to be held on the anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting massacre, Dec. 14.

"This is not just about getting guns off the streets; it's about making sure that if you have a gun in your home, that it's secured," Petty said. "It's about safer streets and healthier homes and making sure the violence we saw in Newtown never happens here."