Law enforcement agencies in Greenville and Pitt County removed more than 1,000 crime-related firearms from circulation in 2025, including weapons linked to shootings and untraceable ghost guns.
The Greenville Police Department reported seizing more than 800 firearms within city limits. The remaining firearms, over 200, were confiscated throughout the county by the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office Gang and Gun Unit, according to Sgt. Vargas.
Vargas said many weapons were found in the possession of individuals prohibited from owning them, including convicted felons. He noted an uptick in reports from residents about firearms that sounded automatic, as well as an increase in guns fitted with devices—known as switches—that convert semi-automatic weapons to fully automatic.
“Compared to 2024, in 2025 we did receive an increase in calls for service from people reporting firearms that sounded automatic,” Vargas said. “We also did increase our number of seizures of crime guns with switches that convert them to be fully automatic.”
Greenville resident Cameron Hicks said the seizures have contributed to a greater sense of safety.
“It definitely makes me feel safer, being a student that has to walk to class every day,” Hicks said. “It makes me feel safe knowing there aren’t all these guns on the street that I have to worry about.”
Vargas said the unit plans to continue targeting illegal firearm possession in 2026 and encouraged residents to report gun-related activity anonymously.
