Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D) promoted his city's gun buyback amnesty program Wednesday evening on MSNBC. Part of the mayor's strategy to fund the program, "The Caliber Collection," is jewelry made from guns and bullet casings seized by Newark police. The guns and casings are melted down, reshaped and resold to consumers as jewelry.
RACHEL MADDOW: We're back with Newark, New Jersey mayor, Corey Booker. The last time you were here you were talking about gun buybacks, and you said there was something going on in Newark.
CORY BOOKER: Yeah, it's a really innovative program where we've taken the actual weapons we recover from crimes. What we used to do is melt them down and give them away but now we're using them of instrument of more buy backs, an instrument of peace. So here's actually a piece of jewelry with a serial number on it from an actual gun that we recovered from a crime.
MADDOW: That's the weapon's serial number?
BOOKER: That's the weapons serial number. It's amazing. It has Newark on the inside of the bracelet. "The Caliber Collection," they're called. And the proceeds go to more gun buy backs. I know many people poo poo them, but we have parents who will bring in the guns of their children, we have social activists that will convince guys to turn in their guns. So this is one strategy. Remember, this is not a cure-all. But everybody has the power to do something little, something small and to make a difference. So I brought you and a certain significant other that I like a lot, something as well.