The city of Northglenn is offering residents a rebate of up to $525 if they purchase a gun safe.

City Council approved by an 8-1 vote during its June 24 regular meeting the implementation of the Gun Safe Rebate Program. Councilman Gene Wieneke, Ward IV, voted against the measure.

While the city is still working on the specific mechanisms to put the program in place, residents will be reimbursed for safes purchased any time after June 24.

The city will reimburse any resident up to 25 percent of the cost of a gun safe, up to a maximum rebate of $500, or up to 30 percent of the cost of a gun safe up to a maximum rebate of $525 if the gun safe is purchased from a Northglenn business.

Wieneke said he was opposed to using public dollars that would not benefit the entire city.

“This is strictly to help a private person to get a safe to secure his guns that he voluntarily purchased and we’re using public dollars for that private purpose,” he said.

Mayor Pro Tem Susan Clyne, Ward III, countered that the rebate program did benefit the entire community.

“I think there is a public purpose in this because we want to ensure the safety in the event there is a break-in at the house and the guns are out on the street used by criminals,” she said.

“That’s one reason the police department was so in favor of this; we wanted to control that illegal access to guns. And plus, if it helps protects kids, too, in the home, even better.”

City staff still has to work out verification protocol — such as making sure the safe remains in the Northglenn home. City Attorney Corey Hoffmann said people would probably have to provide an affidavit as well as a receipt of purchase before getting the rebate.

“Nothing is foolproof, but we’ll put as many mechanisms in place as possible to ensure that it’s a city resident, on city property, with one safe per property,” he said.