Avalon, Lost Hills --Gifts for Guns drive-thru locations on Friday

               LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT

"GIFTS FOR GUNS" SUCCESS

 

The latest "Gifts for Guns" event held this past weekend was a huge success, with 779 guns surrendered. Lakewood Station collected 347 guns, Lomita Station collected 178 guns, and Santa Clarita Valley Station collected 254 guns during this event.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Supervisor Don Knabe and Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas held a press conference on March 26, 2009 at the Sherman Block Sheriff’s Headquarters Building in Monterey Park. The "Gifts for Guns" program was developed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in 2005 to provide a unique opportunity for area residents to safely surrender any firearm, anonymously and without questions, to Sheriff’s personnel in exchange for a $100 gift card for any handgun or rifle, or a $200 gift card for an assault weapon. Last year, the Sheriff’s Department collected more than 3,000 guns, which were later destroyed. To date, this program has been very successful and has already collected 2,063 guns.

The Sheriff’s Department plans to hold a "Gifts for Guns" event at 21 drive-thru locations over the next couple of months. This Friday, April 24, 2009, people can drive through the following locations:

Avalon Station

215 Sumner Avenue, Avalon, California 90704

Lost Hills Station

27050 Agoura Road, Calabasas, California 91301

Each weekend, three different stations will host the program. For more information on future dates and locations, please contact your local Sheriff’s station.

SHB-42A-09                                                      X X X                                                   April 22, 2009