In 2014 Boston’s “Your Piece for Peace” gun buyback campaign collected over 400 firearms while only receiving one this year. The program is still funded and active however participation has taken a big hit despite efforts by Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh pushing the program. Mayor Martin believes the lack of promotion is to blame for the low participation.

“We need people to know that the gun buyback program is still in process,” Walsh said. “We’ve never ended it. So we’re going to continue to push that out there, and having more information out there letting them know that the program is still in existence, it’s a good thing.”

With a $100,000 budget the goal of the program is to take illegal guns off the streets in efforts to reduce urban gun violence in the city. Participants are offered a $200 Visa gift card and protected from prosecution for the ownership of illegal firearms not directly connected to a crime.