[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16790]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         FOOD FOR GUNS PROGRAM

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, this Saturday the Detroit Police Department 
will begin a new gun buyback program offering a $25 gift certificate 
for gas and a $25 gift certificate for food to anyone who brings in an 
unloaded gun. Last year, a very successful similar effort took more 
than 600 guns off the streets of Detroit.
  During the past week, volunteers from the Youth Initiative Project, 
an organization dedicated to drug prevention and stopping youth 
violence, have gone door-to-door informing people throughout the 
community of the program. In addition, the Youth Initiative Project is 
a planning a Family Safety Fun Day to coincide with the gun buyback 
program that will distribute trigger locks and information on gun 
safety.
  There have been 14 young people killed by guns this year in metro 
Detroit. In response to these tragic shootings, the Youth Initiative 
Project held a town hall meeting at the Redford Branch of the Detroit 
Public Library on how to prevent gun violence. Some of the organizers 
were trained this summer at the Youth Action Institute, a three day 
convention in Washington, D.C. sponsored by the Alliance for Justice. 
These same volunteers are planning three more town hall meetings in 
Detroit and then will move their program into local schools.
  I hope my colleagues will join me in commending the Detroit Police 
Department for this positive approach to getting guns off the streets 
and the Youth Initiative Project for their efforts to make the day a 
success and their commitment to educating their peers on gun safety.

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