Gift cards were handed out, and 430 firearms were surrendered in Long Beach over the weekend.
The firearms were turned in anonymously on Saturday, June 27, to police and were to be destroyed, including replica firearms, in the parking lot at Martin Luther King Jr. Park, at 1950 Lemon Ave., Long Beach police said. Ammunition was handed over as well.
People who turned in firearms received $50 gift cards for non-functioning firearms, $150 for working pistols, rifles and shotguns, $200 for ghost guns with no serial numbers and $300 for assault rifles.
“This is an opportunity to raise community awareness and focus on reducing gun violence,” Police Chief Wally Hebeish in a statement. “We remain committed to supporting programs which can reduce the availability and accessibility of firearms in our community.”
The event was sponsored by Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn’s office.