On Friday, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office announced that the Washington State Attorney General’s Office has awarded the county $125,000 to support a gun buyback and firearm storage program.
This makes Whatcom County one of twelve law enforcement agencies in the state to receive funding for this program.
The AG’s office awarded the grant to promote firearm safety, combat gun violence and support victims of gun violence, the sheriff’s office wrote in a Facebook post.
The sheriff’s office will use some of the money to purchase gift cards that they will redeem for firearms.
“As Sheriff of Whatcom County, I want to emphasize that combating gun violence is extremely important to me, not only as a law enforcement officer, but also on a very personal level,” said Sheriff Donnell “Tank” Tanskley. “Having tragically lost several family members to gun violence, I understand the devastating impact it has on families, communities and our entire society.”
The sheriff’s office will provide more information on how the community can participate next spring.
