The Chief of the Houston Police Department (HPD) and the Interim Chief Procurement Officer request City Council approve spending authority in the amount of $539,000.00 to load gift cards for the purpose of incentivizing individuals to surrender eligible firearms at the Gun Buyback Events with funds the City received through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
The Gun Buyback programs give Houstonians a safe and alternative way to surrender unwanted firearms and the City provides compensation for their surrendered firearms. This provides an opportunity to mitigate potential harmful actions of in-home invasions, burglary of motor vehicles where guns could potentially be used in violent crimes, and/or access by a minor. Additionally, many people inherit firearms and do not know how to properly dispose of them. Buyback programs are widely supported as a means to reduce firearms within a city.
The Gun Buyback Events are a part of Mayor Turner's One Safe Houston initiative, are open to the public, and no identification or government ID is required to participate. In exchange for surrendering a weapon to law enforcement personnel at the designated firearm collection site, the person donating the firearm will receive a gift card in $50 increments depending on the firearm type.
HPD coordinated with the Strategic Purchasing Division (SPD) to ensure all procurement rules were followed in the selection of a vendor to procure the gift cards. In preparation of subsequent Gun Buyback Events, HPD will wire transfer to vendor BLACKHAWK NETWORK, INC up to $539,000.00 of ARPA funds to upload onto gift cards to be transmitted back to the City for distribution by the City to the ultimate card recipient. The City shall pay a fee of up to $9,000.00 for the prepaid cards related to the City’s gun buyback program.
A presentation of the Gun Buyback Event was given at the Public Safety & Homeland Security Committee meeting on June 15, 2022 and July 21, 2022. Copies of these presentations can be accessed through the PSHS Committee portal at:
https://www.houstontx.gov/council/committees/publicsafety.html
Fiscal Note:
No Fiscal Note is required on grant items.
_____________________ _____________________________
Troy Finner Jed Greenfield
Chief of Police Interim Chief Procurement Officer