UPDATE: According to Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly is not opposed to the Guns for Greatness program.

“Commissioner Kelly… is working with the organizers to make it happen,” Browne said.

Metro’s original story is below.

Hip-hop music executive Michael “Blue” Williams has pitched the NYPD a different kind of gun buyback program: “Guns for Greatness” — and “Greatness” is Beyoncé and Jay-Z concert tickets.

Williams’ proposal suggests that people turning in illegal firearms receive tickets to some of this summer’s most anticipated shows.

Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne confirmed that NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly is considering the proposal. Ed Mullins, a sergeant in the detective squad at the 67th precinct, is hoping Kelly approves the program.

“Any program that gets people to turn in illegal handguns is a good program,” Mullins said. “What’s especially good about this program is people look up to celebrities, and we’re now bringing them in to help send the message to get firearms off the street.”

Browne did not elaborate on what Kelly’s hesitations might be, and Mullins couldn’t think of any problems with the program himself.

“I don’t see a downside,” Mullins said. “We’ve done these programs before and they’ve been very successful.”

Typically, the NYPD offers cash vouchers in their buyback programs. Mullins said the funding comes from a variety of sources, including outside sponsors or organizations and individuals within the community.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

The post (UPDATED) NYPD top brass working on Beyonce tickets for gun buyback appeared first on Metro.us.

A gun buyback at Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church in Staten Island on Saturday brought in 55 firearms, police reported. Two were loaded, and two had the serial numbers scratched off.

One of the weapons was an SKS .762 caliber assault rifle with a 30-round magazine. Governor Cuomo’s recent gun legislation regulated magazines to a maximum of seven rounds.

47 of the 55 weapons were handguns. Some city politicians, including Councilwoman Letitia James, have been calling for legislation focusing on handgun regulation, arguing that handguns are the city’s major problem. NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly recently noted that only two percent of arrests for illegal firearms involve assault weapons, while 60 percent of the city’s murders are committed using handguns.

The NYPD’s gun buy back program has taken in over 8,100 firearms since it started in 2008. The program is completely anonymous; people turning in guns will not be asked to show identification or permits.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

The post Gun buyback in Staten Island brings in 55 weapons appeared first on Metro.us.