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City used $150,000 state grant to give away gun safes; $50,000 reserved for buyback in August
Summary
Federal Way used a $150,000 award from the Washington attorney general’s office to distribute 500 gun safes; the council and police said $100,000 paid for safes and $50,000 will fund an August buyback event.
Federal Way — The city distributed 500 gun safes at a June 7 giveaway funded by a state grant, and police said they have set aside $50,000 for a planned buyback later this summer.
Deputy Chief Kyle Sumter briefed the council June 17 on the origin and scope of the program. The giveaway was funded through an attorney general’s office program that made $3 million available statewide; Federal Way received $150,000. “We spent $100,000 on the safes, and we’re going to spend $50,000 in late August for a gun buyback event,” Sumter said.
City officials described the giveaway as a public-safety effort to reduce unsecured firearms in homes. The police department reported that all 500 safes were distributed by about noon on the event day. Mayor Farrell and officers participated in the distribution, and the city asked property managers and homeowners associations to help promote gun-safety rules on multifamily properties.
What’s next: A city-funded buyback will be held in late August, funded from the same AG grant allocation. Police encouraged residents to contact the department with concerns about neighborhood safety; the city’s public information described the program as grant-funded and time-limited.
Why it matters: City leaders said removing unsecured firearms reduces risks of accidental injury and theft. The program also freed up $50,000 to be used directly to purchase firearms at a later, designated buyback event.
