CITY OF GREENSBOROContact: Susan Danielsen
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEPhone: 336-574-4002
‘Gun Stoppers’ Program Launched to get Illegal Weapons off the Streets
GREENSBORO, NC (Feb. 24, 2017) – The Greensboro Police Department, in partnership with the Greensboro/Guilford Crime Stoppers program has launched a ‘Gun Stoppers’ program to encourage people to report illegal weapons in our city.
Police Chief Wayne Scott announced the initiative at the “Safer City” Summit on Jan. 31 as part of a city-wide effort to reduce violence involving firearms. Using resources and methods popularized by “Crime Stoppers”, people can submit anonymous tips about firearms possessed by felons, stolen guns, firearms used in crimes, and guns deemed illegal under North Carolina law.
“Most of our violent crimes include firearms,” said Scott. “Many of those firearms are illegal. Those are the weapons we want to get off the streets.”
‘Gun Stoppers’ will pay a minimum of a $250 cash reward to anyone who notifies the tip line of an illegal weapon, and that tip leads to an arrest and/or confiscation of an illegal gun by the Greensboro Police Department or Guilford County Sheriff’s Department.
To qualify as an illegal weapon, the firearm must either be possessed illegally and/or illegal on its face.
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A weapon is possessed illegally if it is in the control of a person who cannot lawfully have a firearm. Such people can include (but are not limited to):
- Felons
- Persons prohibited from possessing by a court as part of a domestic violence protective order
- Fugitives from justice
- Illegal aliens
- Parolees
- Persons dishonorably discharged from the US Armed Forces
Illegal firearms include:
- Sawed-off rifles or shotguns
- Automatic weapons
- Machine guns
- Those with silencers
- Nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons
- Any firearm that has been altered from its original manufactured state
- Stolen weapons
“The goal of this program is to reduce our violent crime by encouraging people to report illegal firearms,” explained Scott. “We have often stated that police cannot prevent or solve crimes on our own----that we need community involvement. Helping us get illegal guns off the street is one way for members of the public to help make our city safer.”
Reporting illegal firearms is easy, and more importantly, callers are not asked to give their names. Contact Crime Stoppers by calling 336-373-1000 or texting to 274637 using the key word badboyz. Tips may also be submitted on line at
Tipsters will be asked to provide specific and detailed information about the location and description of the person in possession of the illegal firearm. In return, the caller will get a code number to claim a potential award. Callers should never share this number with anyone!
The information about the firearm will be provided to GPD officers or GCSO deputies who will take action to locate the weapon and its owner. The first person to report the illegal weapon which leads to an arrest and/or confiscation of the illegal gun will be paid the cash reward. Rewards are paid once a month at a local bank. Tipsters who provide information about illegal weapons are still eligible for Crime Stoppers rewards if additional illegal activity is discovered as a result of the gun tip.
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