Put Down Your Weapon… and Have a Present

Gifts for Guns program gives out gift cards

Is that handgun or assault rifle just sitting around the house collecting dust? Have you wanted to buy some groceries but realized you can't buy food with weapons?

Well, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has the answer for you.

On Thursday, the governor was in Los Angeles to announce the state's Gifts for Guns program.

Gun owners can surrender any firearm to sheriff's personnel anonymously and without questions in exchange for a $100 gift card for any handgun or rifle, or a $200 gift card for an assault weapon.

The program was developed by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in 2005.

More than 3,000 guns were collected and destroyed last year.

The statewide program is funded by $9.2 million in competitive grants given to 17 cities and 13 community-based organizations in areas with heavy concentrations of gangs, according to the governor's office.

The Gifts for Guns campaign starts at three Los Angeles County Sheriff's stations this weekend. Each station will be open for gun drop-offs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.:

  • Lancaster (March 27-28)
  • Norwalk (March 28-29)
  • Century station-Lynwood city hall (March 28-29)

Palmdale, Walnut and Carson stations will hold their gun collection campaign on April 4 and 5, also from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Various stations will continue the program until the end of April. Sheriffs suggest those interested call their local station for more information.

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