Phillips, left, shows some of the turned in weapons

GOSHEN – A total of 218 guns – from handguns to sawed off shotguns, a fully automatic machine and a cane gun – were turned in during Orange County’s recent gun buyback program.               

Persons who brought guns to police stations in the cities of Newburgh, Middletown and Port Jervis, were given ShopRite gift cards.

District Attorney Frank Phillips said over 400 guns have been taken off the streets during the last two buyback programs.

“Orange County is just a little bit safer because of this initiative and ever little bit means something.”

Middletown Mayor Joseph DeStefano suggested during a news conference that instead of holding a buyback program for a two month period, the county may want to consider it year round and that was something County Executive Edward Diana said they were exploring.

“We think it is very critical that maybe we should try it once and just continue to roll it out for the entire year and see what kind of results we get at that point,” he said.

A similar gun buyback program in 2007 netted 197 firearms.