The New Haven Police are sponsoring another gun buy back program. This one has a huge twist though, so what is it?

As we approach another, continually heart wrenching anniversary of the horrific events of five years ago at Sandy Hook Elementary School, it breaks my heart that we still have massive issues with guns in our country. That said, any effort to get more of them off the streets is a positive thing. The New Haven Police Department is having another gun buy back day. This one has quite the twist to it, and it's tied to Sandy Hook.

In a story from the New Haven Register, the New Haven Police say the weapons collected at a gun buyback event on Saturday, Dec. 16 will be turned into something useful. According to the article, the collected firearms will be given to Gar Waterman, a local metal sculptor, who is going to chop down the firearms.

Now the twist: The destroyed pieces then will be turned over to the Department of Correction where volunteer inmates will forge the pieces into gardening tools, under the direction of Raw Tools, which is a Colorado-based nonprofit that turns donated weapons into garden tools.

Steven Yanovsky, communications director for the Newtown Foundation had this to say to nhregister.com

It allows us to take this method of destruction, this murder machine, and turn it into something which is the polar opposite, something that is productive instead of destructive. The productivity will allow us to take this gardening tool, use it in a garden, plant vegetables. So you’re taking a weapon of death and turning it into the complete opposite, which is life. So you go from a rifle or a handgun to carrots

This Saturday's sponsored gun buy back event will be hosted by the New Haven Police Department and the Newtown Foundation. It takes place at the New Haven Police Academy, 710 Sherman Parkway, from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Residents can anonymously drop off guns, without fear of being charged with illegal possession of that specific firearm. Gift cards in varying amounts will be handed out in regards to the firearm return.

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