ALBANY — State Attorney General Letitia James says she hopes to put a dent in gun violence by sponsoring what her office calls New York’s first statewide firearms buyback effort, to be staged April 29 in nine communities.

But some skeptics of gun buyback programs contend that while such efforts may be effective political theater, they make an insignificant contribution to public safety as those who use guns to victimize others are unlikely to surrender their weapons in return for quick cash.

Contacted by CNHI, James’ office explained the money that will be dispensed to those who turn in guns is coming from forfeiture funds seized in drug and gun trafficking investigations by the state Organized Crime Task Force.

The nine communities that will be among the buyback venues include Plattsburgh and Niagara Falls.

Niagara County Sheriff Michael Filicetti said he opted not to participate in the state-organized buyback program.

“I think we should be focusing our efforts on the people who are committing the gun crimes and pulling the trigger,” Filicetti said in an interview. “I don’t think our hardcore criminals are going to be enticed by the dollars to come in and surrender their firearms.”

The attorney general’s office announced the one-day initiative will provide compensation in the form of prepaid gift cards to those who turn in guns to on-site law enforcement officers.

The weapons will be accepted “with no questions asked,” and whether they are in working order or malfunctioning, according to James’ office.

The sum of money issued will hinge on the type of firearm surrendered. A total of $500 is being offered for what state officials called an assault weapon or a ghost gun. The same sum will go to the first handgun an individual surrenders But if more than one handgun is turned in by that person, the buyback amount is limited to $150 for each subsequent weapon collected from that donor.

For each rifle or shotgun, the attorney general is offering $75. A payment of $25 will be provided for each non-working gun, replica, antique, homemade or 3D-printed gun, according to state officials.

Peter Kehoe, executive director of the New York State Sheriffs Association, said gun buyback efforts have limited effectiveness in countering gun violence.

“I guess if there are random guns laying around, it’s probably a good thing to get them off the street,” Kehoe said. “But guns are certainly not the problem. It’s the people who use them illegally. What we really need are stronger penalties for those who use guns illegally — and less focus on people who legally have guns.”

The state Division of Criminal Justice Services, an agency controlled by Gov. Kathy Hochul, and the State Police keep no statistics on the involvement of firearms owned by people who own the weapons legally in gun crimes. However, law enforcement experts say there is anecdotal evidence suggesting it is unusual for legally possessed firearms to be involved in felony offenses.

The Rand Corporation, a policy think tank, released a report earlier this year that found there is broad public support for voluntary gun buyback efforts, with the partisan divide over the programs being “less stark” than gun policy changes in general. But that report also noted: “Several reviews of the existing research find little or no evidence that gun buyback programs reduce firearm violence in the United States.”

The Rand report recommended that policymakers and community groups should “consider whether the scarce resources allocated to gun buybacks–even if these resources are minimal–might be better spent on more-promising violence prevention efforts.”

Reached in Delhi, Delaware County Sheriff Craig DuMond said he is a skeptic of gun buybacks. “Criminals are not going to turn in the guns they use to victimize people,” DuMond said. “It’s a good political football to run down the field but the effect on public safety is minimal.”

The Niagara County buyback will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 29 at St. John’s African Methodist Episcopal Church at 917 Garden & Richard Allen Way, Niagara Falls.

The Clinton County buyback will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Clinton County Fairgrounds at 84 Fair Grounds Road, Plattsburgh.

Other upstate buyback venues that day include the Johnson City Senior Center in Broome County, the American Legion Post in Kingston, Ulster County, St. Lucy’s Food Pantry in Syracuse.and the Watervliet Dome in Albany County.