GIFTS FOR GUNS --Friday and Saturday schedule; stats given for last weekend

 

 

                                                                     "GIFTS FOR GUNS" SUCCESS

 

The latest "Gifts for Guns" event held this past weekend was a huge success, with 193 guns surrendered. Crescenta Valley Station collected 71 guns, and Marina del Rey Station collected 122 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 2,588 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, May 8, 2009, people can drive through the following locations:

East Los Angeles

100 block of Mednik Avenue (Belvedere Park parking lot), East Los Angeles, California 90022

Industry Station

150 North Hudson Avenue, Industry, California 91715

Lennox

11507 Western Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90047

West Hollywood (Saturday, May 9, only)

5500 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, California 90027

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

SHB-52A-09                                                                   X X X                                                                  May 4, 2009