The 18th Gun Buyback event in Albuquerque was held Saturday, June 4, KOAT reported.

“We want to make sure that they're handed in appropriately and they're not going to get involved with unused hands, unsafe hands," Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen told the station.

The event was hosted through a partnership between Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence, the story said.

This is the first time the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department has participated.

Having the sheriff's department involved was an attempt to send a message that it is willing to listen to the community and their concerns about gun violence, KOAT reported. Students from RFK Charter School have been part of the effort to increase awareness on gun violence across New Mexico, the station said. The student's reasons for helping out were "deep and close to them" the station said.

A.J. Anderson is one person that has his own story about gun violence personally, especially at RFK Charter School, the story said.

“We lost two of our own fellow students at our school and it's hard whenever I hear that news," Anderson told KOAT.

Guns purchased in the buyback are dismantled, the station reported.

Anderson said he doesn't want the community to see this as an effort to pressure the community into giving up guns. He would rather educate them on making sure firearms are being used safely and responsibly.

“We're not here to judge or do anything like that," Anderson said. "We honor and respect our community by any decision that they make and I stand by that."

In total, 156 guns were collected from the June 4 event, which were added to the 1,700 that have been collected over the years.