New Jersey

New Jersey Police Union Cancels Raffle of Assault Rifle

What to Know

  • A local police union in New Jersey that planned to raffle off an assault rifle abruptly canceled that idea
  • The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office shut down the Bergenfield’s police union’s raffle idea Friday
  • Bergenfield PBA Local 309’s members tried to raise money through raffles with prices that included a TV, a shotgun and an AR-15

A local police union in New Jersey that planned to raffle off an assault rifle abruptly canceled that idea.

Police unions throughout the state try to raise money for scholarships and other organizations. Bergenfield PBA Local 309’s members tried to do so with a raffle, but what raised eyebrows and concern of people was that this year’s raffle prices included not only a television, but a shotgun and an AR-15 assault rifle.

The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office shut down the Bergenfield’s police union’s raffle idea Friday.

Though Det. Dave Tortoram president of Bergenfield PBA Local 309, did not return NBC 4’s request for comment, he did tell NorthJersey.com that guns are popular and they thought they could sell more tickets if they raffled off those weapons.

Raffling off weapons is illegal in the state of New Jersey.

The New Jersey chapter of Moms Demanding Action for Gun Sense said in a statement: “The PBA does good work and needs proper funding, but we believe that they are the ones that should have that (gun) power.”

The statement also goes on to say: “Besides the military, that’s not something that anyone else should have access to.”

Police did say that whoever won the gun in the raffle would have to undergo a background check. However, that will no longer be necessary as

PBA Local 309 issued a statement Friday afternoon.

“We understand the gravity of these weapons and the means to which they’ve been used. We sincerely apologize to anyone we may have offended as a result of this raffle,” the police union said, adding that anyone who did buy a raffle ticket will get a refund.

AR-15 assault rifles were used in the shootings of Newton, Connecticut, as well as Las Vegas and in Parkland, Florida.

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