LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck announced today that 1,673 firearms were collected during the 2012 Gun Buyback, bringing the total number of firearms collected through the program to 7,942.
In total, 791 handguns, 527 rifles, 302 shotguns, and 53 assault weapons were collected this weekend from the six Gun Buyback locations citywide.
An initiative of the Mayor’s Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD) Office, the Gun Buyback rewards the voluntary surrender of firearms while engaging the community towards a common goal of reducing gun violence.
The Gun Buyback includes a grassroots outreach campaign that works with gang prevention and intervention agencies, community and religious leaders, and the Los Angeles Police Department. The comprehensive outreach effort serves not only to encourage participation in neighborhoods suffering from high levels of gun violence, but also to educate communities about the risks and dangers of gun and gang violence.
In exchange for surrendering weapons, participants received a Ralphs or VISA pre-paid card. The LAPD Gun Unit determined the type and classification of the firearm surrendered. The cost per firearm is dependent on its type, up to $200 for assault weapons as specified by the State of California and up to $100 for handguns, rifles, and shotguns.
The Gun Buyback is the beginning of the Summer Violence Reduction strategy which leads into the Summer Night Lights (SNL) program.
