Law enforcement officials will host a gun safety event in the South Bay next Saturday in an effort to get unwanted guns of the streets.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, Chula Vista Police Department, National City Police Department and California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Division of Adult Parole Operations to offer gift cards in exchange for the firearms.
The event is scheduled for Dec. 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the South Bay Superior Court parking lot at 500 Third Ave. in Chula Vista.
Anyone turning in an unwanted gun will receive a $100 gift card in exchange for handguns, rifles and shotguns, and a $200 gift card for assault weapons.
Free firearm lock boxes and trigger locks will also be available while supplies last, according to deputies. Firearms must be in working order and participants will remain anonymous, with no questions asked.
Anyone exchanging a gun for a gift card was instructed to place the unloaded firearm in the trunk of their vehicle and wait for a deputy or officer to provide instructions, according to authorities.
All weapons collected will be destroyed.
The effectiveness of gun buyback programs in reducing crime has been questioned.
A 2004 report by the National Academy of Sciences titled “Firearms and Violence: A Critical Review” found that “the theory underlying gun buyback programs is badly flawed, and the empirical evidence demonstrates the ineffectiveness of these programs.”
The report found that guns that are typically surrendered in buyback programs are those that are least likely to be used in criminal activities, such as guns that are old or malfunctioning.