Maui residents turn in 40 guns and 58 pounds of illegal fireworks at community buyback event

Maui residents turned in nearly 40 firearms and 58 illegal pounds of illegal fireworks during Saturday’s dual buyback event in Kahului. The event was hosted by the Maui Police Department in partnership with the Hawaiʻi Department of Law Enforcement, as well as the Honolulu Police Department. Participants received Foodland gift cards in exchange for voluntarily surrendering unwanted firearms and fireworks.

“These unwanted guns and fireworks will never again be used. They will never again pose any type of threat to a loved one or have an opportunity to be used in a crime. Every weapon turned in counts,” said DLE Director Jared Redulla.

Saturday’s buyback event is a continuation of statewide efforts by the administration of Governor Josh Green to protect Hawaiʻi residents from gun violence and potentially deadly fireworks incidents.

Weapons

Since the buyback events began at the end of 2024, 2,200 guns have been taken off the streets and turned over to DLE.

Secure firearm storage and the voluntary surrender of unwanted firearms are important components of preventing firearm-related injuries and deaths. Unsecured firearms can be stolen and used in crimes, accessed by children, or contribute to suicides. Programs such as the gun buyback provide community members with a safe, anonymous option for disposing of firearms they no longer want or need.

The gun buyback event is an amnesty program in which no questions were asked about the person dropping off any firearms. No identification was required.

Licensed gun dealers, as well as active and retired law enforcement officers, were not eligible to participate.

What happens to the firearms after being turned in?

• All firearms serial numbers are checked and the last-known registered owner is notified via mail.
• The firearms are stored in a secure location until disposal.
• All firearms turned in are destroyed according to specifications by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
• All firearms intake, storage and destruction are monitored by the DLE Internal Affairs Unit to safeguard against loss or theft.
• No firearms are sold or kept for personnel purposes.

Fireworks

The possession and use of illegal fireworks like aerial devices (cakes), cannisters, aerial shells, mortars and Roman candles, as well as other consumer fireworks, are illegal and not permitted. Individuals need to obtain a permit from their county fire department to use firecrackers legally.

This year, penalties for the use and storage of illegal fireworks are much stronger and there will be more law enforcement officers on patrol.

• DLE has increased searches at all ports and is patrolling neighborhoods with drones focused on fireworks enforcement.
• Just the possession, distribution, or operation of illegal fireworks is a felony carrying fines of up to $25,000 and up to 10 years in prison.
• The new law also holds homeowners, parents and guardians responsible, not just those who light illegal fireworks.

HPD’s Specialized Services Division, its bomb squad, will assess each explosive to make sure it is commercial grade. Any improvised explosives (homemade) will be taken in by SSD for possible destruction. For all commercial grade explosives, DLE will handle intake and destruction.

Individuals who turned in the following firearms received Foodland gift cards in exchange:

• $200 Foodland gift card for automatic firearms of any type, semi-automatic rifles, ghost guns
• $100 Foodland gift card for handguns, rifles, shotguns, bump stocks, Glock switches
• Up to $200 Foodland gift cards at a rate of $10 per pound for mortars and other display fireworks and $5 per pound for cakes, canisters, Roman candles and other illegal fireworks.