Hundreds exchange guns for gifts in Los Angeles suburb
Last Updated: Monday, December 8, 2008 | 11:51 AM ET
CBC News
Nearly 1,000 firearms were turned in as part of a gifts for guns program in a crime-ridden suburb of Los Angeles, more than doubling the amount collected last year, police said.
The program, similar to one launched in Toronto last October, is conducted by the Los Angeles Sheriff's department in Compton, an area plagued by gun violence.
It allows people to anonymously hand in weapons in exchange for $100 gift cards for Ralphs supermarkets, Target department stores or Best Buy electronics stores.
A record 965 firearms and two hand grenades were handed in over the two weekends that the program was in operation, authorities said. Last year, 387 guns were collected.
Sgt. Byron Woods said the most popular gift cards this year were those for supermarkets.
"People just don't have the money to buy the food these days," he said.
Weapons were dropped off at a local grocery store parking lot. Police checked the weapons to see whether they had been used in crimes, then destroyed them.
Toronto police launched a similar campaign in October, offering gun owners digital cameras in exchange for their firearms.
Dubbed "Pixels for Pistols," the program rewarded those turning in legal or illegal firearms to the police with a Nikon digital camera from the Toronto-based photography chain Henry's. Police said they collected 1,400 guns.
