NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Guns are involved in so many of the crimes we see across the midstate, and a partnership between area churches and the Metro Nashville Police Department is getting results. It's called the gun retrieval program.
The programs been around since 2021, and about two dozen Nashville churches take part. NewsChannel 5 Anchor Carrie Sharp stopped by The Impact Church of Nashville today.
They've been part of the program since last September, and already a handful of guns have been turned over at the church.
However, The Madison Church of Christ joined the effort at the inception and receives about 10 guns a year.
Buck Dozier, an elder with the church, shared what happens when someone shows up with an unwanted gun.
"The police department provides us with a case that's unlocked," Dozier said. "We put the guns in the case, we lock it, we call the police department, and they come with the key. We don't have a key. And they'll take the guns and distribute them or dispose of them as they see fit."
Carrie also spoke with the department's head of the gun retrieval program, Sgt. Alberta Auguste, who said the program has seen great success in the four years since the program started.
"We realize there were a lot of guns being stolen in Nashville, so we came up with the program to give citizens a way to turn in unwanted guns," Auguste said. We had over 80+ guns retrieved."
Sgt. Auguste shared that MNPD has partnered with 22 churches for the program so far. The pastor of one of those churches, Derek Faison with The Impact Church of Nashville, says he's seen involvement in the program grow since his church joined half a year ago.
"Typically the story is grandmothers who have guns that show up in their house for some reason, and they know they shouldn't be there. They want a safe place to dispose of it. People want to do that confidentially, they don't want anyone to know about it."
We also learned that once the guns get to the police department, officers check to see if the gun was stolen or used in any crimes. If they aren't associated with crime, investigators work to get those firearms returned to their original owner. Sgt. Auguste said her number one goal is to keep guns out of the hands of kids.
Tap here for list of churches involved in the program.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email us at newsroom@newschannel5.com.
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