Congressman Dan Goldman Requests Information from New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Gun Buyback Programs to Ensure They Do Not Contribute to the Proliferation of Ghost Guns

Recent Reporting Reveals Private Companies Contracted by Local Governments to Conduct Buyback Programs Do Not Always Destroy Entirety of Firearm

Potential Resale of Parts May Fuel Secondary Market for Ghost Guns

Goldman Requests Information on City’s Gun Buyback Programs, Calls for Full Destruction of Surrendered Guns

Read the Letter Here

New York, NY – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) sent a letter to New York City Mayor Eric Adams asking forinformation on the City’s partnerships with private gun buyback companies. When individuals surrender firearms to their local law enforcement, the expectation is that these guns are destroyed. Instead, recent media reports revealed that some of these companies are actually only removing and destroying the parts that hold serial numbers and selling the weapon’s remaining parts, fueling a secondary market of ghost guns nationwide.

Ghost guns are unserialized and untraceable firearms, parts for which can be bought online and easily assembled at home without having to pass a background check.

“Alarmingly, many local leaders were not aware of this practice by firms with which they have contracts to dispose of firearms,” Congressman Goldman wrote. “Since New York City is a leader in gun safety programs, I have no doubt that you agree that this practice undermines the purpose and intent of gun buyback programs.”

The Congressman’s letter to Mayor Adams follows a separate letter Goldman sent with Congressman Gabe Amo (RI-01) to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Director Steve Dettelbach urging him to update ATF guidance on gun buyback programs to recommend the complete destruction of firearms. An update to this guidance would prevent private companies partnering with the municipalities that manage gun buyback programs from only destroying serialized gun parts and selling the remaining parts as part of “do-it-yourself" ghost gun kits.

“I applaud your commitment to public safety in New York. Considering the threat to that commitment posed by the unchecked proliferation of firearms, I look forward to hearing from you on this issue,” Congressman Goldman continued.

Congressman Goldman specifically requested answers to the following questions: 

• How many gun buyback programs does the City of New York currently manage? Please include all programs through the New York City Police Department and county District Attorney offices.
• How many firearms have been surrendered in the last 5 years through these programs?
• How many of these firearms were unserialized or “ghost” guns?
• What private company or companies, if any, has the City contracted with to perform firearm destruction services?
• Does the City take any precautions to ensure that the firearms are in fact destroyed, and not sold in parts? If so, what are those precautions? If not, were you aware of this practice by contracting companies? Does the City track firearm parts that are resold?
• Are provisions related to the potential resale of firearm parts by these companies included in the contracts?

Gun parts sold as DIY kits contribute to the proliferation of ghost guns across the country. Ghost guns are unserialized and untraceable firearms that can be bought online and easily assembled at home without having to pass a background check.

The use of ghost guns across the country has increased significantly in recent years. According to the ATF, the number of ghost guns recovered and traced by law enforcement went from 1,629 in 2016 to 19,273 in 2021 – a more than 1,000 percent increase.

Congressman Dan Goldman is committed to fighting the proliferation of ghost guns in America.

In August of 2023, Goldman cosponsored the ‘Ghost Guns and Untraceable Firearms Act’ to effectively ban the sale of ghost guns by permanently defining the core building blocks of ghost guns – unfinished frames and receivers – as firearms, requiring manufacturers and distributors to obtain licensing, put serial numbers on unassembled gun parts, and require purchasers to undergo the same background checks as those buying preassembled weapons.

In January, the Congressman cosponsored the ‘Bolstering Security Against Ghost Guns Act’ to enhance the United States Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) response to the threat posed by ghost guns.

Congressman Goldman is Vice Chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and is Chair of the Dads Caucus Gun Violence Prevention Working Group.

Read the full letter here or below:

Dear Mayor Adams,

I write to you regarding New York City’s gun buyback programs and to request information relating to those initiatives to ensure that the programs do, in fact, remove guns from our streets.

A recent New York Times investigation revealed that dozens of cities across the United States have partnered with private companies that offer complimentary firearm destruction services to local law enforcement agencies. These companies are contracted to perform the destruction of firearms that were used in crimes, replaced due to police department equipment upgrades, or forfeited in buyback programs. However, while the intent of these programs is to reduce the circulation of guns in the community, many companies are only destroying certain serialized pieces, such as the receiver or frame of the firearm, and reselling the rest of the parts as kits or as individual pieces. This is fueling a secondary market whereby civilians use the remaining pieces of the forfeited firearms to assemble and create “ghost” guns, which are often undetectable and untraceable.

Alarmingly, many local leaders were not aware of this practice by firms with which they have contracts to dispose of firearms. Since New York City is a leader in gun safety programs, I have no doubt that you agree that this practice undermines the purpose and intent of gun buyback programs. In order to ensure that the City’s gun buyback initiatives take the appropriate precautions to avoid allowing surrendered guns to resurface in our communities, I would like to request information on the following:

• How many gun buyback programs does the City of New York currently manage? Please include all programs through the New York City Police Department and county District Attorney offices. 
• How many firearms have been surrendered in the last 5 years through these programs?
• How many of these firearms were unserialized or “ghost” guns?
• What private company or companies, if any, has the City contracted with to perform firearm destruction services?
• Does the City take any precautions to ensure that the firearms are in fact destroyed, and not sold in parts? If so, what are those precautions? If not, were you aware of this practice by contracting companies? Does the City track firearm parts that are resold?
• Are provisions related to the potential resale of firearm parts by these companies included in the contracts?

I applaud your commitment to public safety in New York. Considering the threat to that commitment posed by the unchecked proliferation of firearms, I look forward to hearing from you on this issue.

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