" Good morning the mayor Mike Bloomberg this one group of New Yorkers who unfortunately can't hear my message this morning. The clergy men and women who are leaving Sunday's services. That's really a shame. Because I want to heartily thank clergy members in Queens Brooklyn Staten Island and Manhattan. Who have recently helped us keep New York the nation's safest big city by getting more than 3500. Guns off our streets and potentially out of the hands of criminals. Eight days ago. Participating churches in saint Auburn's Jamaica and the rockaway -- open their doors for a gun buyback program run jointly by the NYPD in Queens district attorney Richard brown. Anyone bringing in a firearm got a 200 dollar bank debit card no identity required and no questions asked by the end of the day we collected a total of 919. Guns. They included assault weapons sawed off shotguns. More than -- 130 semiautomatic pistols and more than 250 revolvers. Weapons that are either patently illegal -- that might lead to needless bloodshed ended in Greece and tragic household accidents -- crimes. That might be pointed out by it at our police officers. Well this was the biggest single day intake of weapons in -- buyback program. We've seen wonderful results -- buyback Saturdays and churches to. The clergy is participation -- pinky in fact you might say that is truly worked miracles. Just think about this starting in 2002. The NYPD began offering 100 dollars to anyone. Turning in a firearm at a precinct station the result. 5000 guns taken off the streets in seven years now. By doubling the buyback reward. And far more importantly by enlisting the help well respected community and spiritual leaders we've recovered more than 3500. Weapons. In just six days. -- just one part of -- far reaching strategy to curb gun violence working with our partners in Albany. Also passed in the toughest -- in the nation against illegal possession of a loaded weapon. And increase the likelihood that gun criminals will receive prison terms. Are lawsuits against a handful of irresponsible out of state gun dealers have helped choke off the flow of illegal weapons into our city. These efforts. Along with our focus on stopping quality of life crimes have been instrumental in reducing crime merits sitting only 28% between 2001 and 2000 -- And bringing it down another 14% so far this year compared with clients. Even -- all that progress we still have much more to do as last week gun violence in east New York tragically showed. And that makes continued community involvement and leadership in fighting crime all the more important. Initiatives like the gun buybacks strengthen ties between community residents from the police officers -- protect them. They engage every day New Yorkers in combating crime. They let criminals know we're all working together to keep violence out of our neighborhoods. To that last message let me -- deeply felt men this is mayor Mike Bloomberg Sachs analyst."