Thread: L.A. gun buyback nets 2,000 weapons -- including a grenade

L.A. gun buyback nets 2,000 weapons -- including a grenade

May 9, 2010 | 7:56 am

Officials said about 2,000 weapons were collected during Los Angeles' latest gun buyback program.

It was the latest buyback program held by the city of Los Angeles. Under the program, residents can drop off guns with no questions asked. In exchange, they got Ralphs gift cards or pre-paid credit cards.

Handgun and rifle exchanges were good for a $100 card; those exchanging assault weapons received $200.

The bomb squad was called to a buyback location in Hollywood on Saturday when a man came to exchange a grenade.

According to KTLA News, the device, which appeared to be a practice grenade painted to look like a live hand grenade, was blown up, and no one was hurt, authorities said. The man who brought the grenade to the buyback said it was given to him by his now-deceased neighbor as a souvenir of the Korean War. He declined to be identified but told reporters he felt bad about the whole event, according to KTLA.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2 ... enade.html

L.A.'s gun buy-back program collects more than 2,500 weapons

May 10, 2010 | 8:18 pm

More than 2,500 firearms were taken off the streets across Los Angeles over the weekend through a gun buy-back program, police and city officials said.

At a Monday morning news conference held outside the LAPD's administration building downtown, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said the program, held annually, collected hundreds of firearms citywide. "I would like to thank all the Angelenos who joined us over the weekend to take us one step closer to securing a safer city for every family," he said.

The gun buy-back program is an initiative of the mayor's Gang Reduction and Youth Development Office, which also works with gang prevention and intervention agencies, community and religious leaders, and the Police Department. The program is similar to the one launched by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, which collects weapons in exchange for gift cards.

At the city's gun buy-back event, participants were able to surrender weapons in exchange for a gift cards to Ralphs or VISA prepaid cards. The value of the gift cards depended on the firearm. Some participants received up to $200 for assault weapons and $100 for handguns, rifles and shotguns.

Now in its second year, the program took 800 more firearms off the street this year compared with the previous year, when almost 1,700 firearms were collected.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2 ... -gift.html