PALMDALE/LANCASTER SHERIFF'S STATIONS TEAM-UP, "GIFTS FOR GUNS" RELOAD

 

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

Palmdale Station Press Release Leroy D. Baca, Sheriff

750 East Avenue Q, Palmdale Ca 93550 *661‐272‐2400

Page 1 of 1

"Gifts for Guns" Program Back by Popular Demand

Narrative

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Palmdale and Lancaster Stations will be teaming up this holiday season to bring financial cheer to the Antelope Valley community one gun at a time. The "Gifts for Guns" program was a huge success in April, 2009, when both stations brought in over 700 firearms.

 

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department will be bringing the program back to select communities, including the Antelope Valley.

 

Both stations will be teaming up to run the program December 5 and 6 at the Michael D. Antonovich Courthouse, 42011 4th Street West, Lancaster. The program schedule is December 5, 10 AM ‐ 5 PM, and December 6, 9 AM ‐ 3 PM. During both days, members of the community can bring their UNLOADED firearms to the courthouse, where they will be able to anonymously drop them off, in return for gift cards which are redeemable at major retail locations in the Antelope Valley.

 

The gift card value schedule is set to exchange $50 for a nonoperational firearm, $100 for a working firearm, and $200 for an assault rifle. The program will be run in a drive‐through style operation. Persons turning in guns are to remain in their vehicles while deputies remove the unloaded firearms from the trunks of the vehicles. Once the state and model of the firearm are determined, deputies will issue the owner a gift card. At no time will the public be asked for their name or any type of identifying information.

 

"The focus of this program is to get firearms off the streets and out of areas where they might fall into the wrong hands," commented Palmdale Station's Captain Bobby Denham. He continued, "Again, we are looking at every avenue of attacking crime here in the Antelope Valley. This program took over 700 firearms off the street last April and we are hoping to do it again this December."

 

"We are glad to have the program back in the Antelope Valley for the two‐day event. Getting the guns off the streets this holiday season will help prevent tragedies from occurring. We want our citizens to have a safe and pleasant holiday," remarked Lancaster Station's Captain Axel Anderson.

 

For further information about the "Gifts for Guns" program, please call the Lancaster Sheriff's Station, 661‐948‐8466, or the Palmdale Sheriff's Station, 661‐272‐2520.

 

Prepared by Deputies Robbie Royster and Michael Montesdeoca