NEWPORT — The success of the Tristate's first federally financed gun buyback today may determine whether more local communities stage similar events.

        The Newport Housing Authority, working with the Newport Police Department, has $10,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to purchase up to 200 firearms at $50 each.

        The Newport buyback is part of HUD's Violence Reduction Gun Buyback program, begun in 1999 with $15 million in grant money for cities. HUD's intentions are to remove firearms from federally backed housing projects and to get guns off the streets and out of the hands of children.

        “We don't know how many people will bring guns in for the buyback,” housing authority director Mark Brown said Friday. “We hope we'll have a lot. I've already received several calls from people planning to bring in their guns.”

        If the Newport buyback follows the lead of HUD buybacks conducted in the past year at Louisville and Lexington, local officials can expect to go through the entire $10,000 today.

        Diana Pack, public relations director of the Kentucky HUD office in Louisville, said 1,500 firearms were purchased at two buybacks in Lexington last spring, and another 400 were purchased at two buybacks in Louisville.

        “Lexington was especially successful because each buyback was held at several locations on the same day,” Ms. Pack explained. “Another buyback is scheduled for Louisville on Dec. 9.”

        The American Firearms Institute estimates there are about 200 million firearms in the U.S., including 60 million to 65 million handguns, or nearly one gun for every man, woman and child.

        “HUD's position is, we want to keep weapons out of public housing,” Ms. Pack said. “We don't mind purchasing them from anybody. ... It keeps one more weapon off the street or out of the reach of a child.”

        The federal gun buyback, supported by President Clinton, has drawn criticism from the firearms industry, the National Rifle Association and Republican members of Congress.

        Opponents say that no statistics show that the buybacks have any impact on crime rates where they are held, and that the funds being used come from federal drug elimination money not intended for gun buybacks.

        Newport Police Lt. Pat Moore and other Newport officers will be on hand today to accept the guns as they are brought to the housing authority office off Isabella Street.

        “The police will check the guns to make certain they function, and that they are not loaded,” Mr. Brown said. “One of the criteria from HUD is that the gun must be workable to be purchased.”

        HUD also dictates that no questions be asked when the guns are brought in, and no identification is required. Police will check serial numbers against stolen firearms lists and if any matches are found an attempt will be made to return the gun to its owner.

        All guns purchased in the buyback that are not returned to an original owner will be destroyed by the police.

Brown Stadium costs more yet
Owners oppose limits on pets
Neyer seeks ethical opinion on vote
Perfect North opens early
RAMSEY: 'Wish list'
Bicyclist's DUI charge reduced
Developer backs out of project
Flea markets organize to hold off restrictions
NewCath fans make best of loss
Wager on game pits barbecue vs. goetta
218 welfare extensions OK'd
McNUTT: Area events
Beechmont Ave. safer to travel
Building rehabilitation company faulted
City's gun buyback a test
Dater estate fight continues
Family reaches out to another
For sale: Pieces of Americana
Goal: $100K in one month
Historic homes opened for tour
HOWARD: Neighborhoods
Land buy is experiment
Mardi Gras may be revived despite woes
NKU students learn the art of philanthropy
Ohio withholds payment to private prison
Police to get a boost from workers trained in psychology
Schools win ruling: Monroe can rely on tax rate
Smaller jail recommended
Three hurt in house fire
Wilmington shooter Kehoe gets 13 years off sentence
Kentucky News Briefs
Tristate A.M. Report