When the police department in Sacramento, Calif., held a gun buyback event on Saturday, they didn’t just give residents a no-questions-asked chance to turn in their unwanted firearms: They also gave out gift cards for gas.
via: Essence
According to the New York Post, the SPD took to its Facebook page to announce a “gas for guns” buyback program where $50 gift cards for fuel would be offered in exchange for weapons “with no questions asked and no identification required.”
The news quickly prompted an overwhelming response from the public, and the SPD shared on its Facebook page that it managed to get 134 guns off the streets this past Saturday.
The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas stood at $6.07.
Motorists clamored to the SPD’s location and immediately ran out of gas gift cards within 45 minutes of an event that was originally slated to last around five hours, KTXL-TV reported.
Cops noted that they recovered one assault weapon, several components for “ghost guns,” weapons that are able to be 3-D printed, and “multiple other illegally configured firearms.”
Residents turned in firearms due to “a lack of experience” with guns as well as a “lack of knowledge of the legality of the firearms,” officials said.
Also cited was “an inability to safely store the firearms as the main reasons for participating in the exchange.”
“As a department, we will continue to use innovative ideas to increase the safety of our community,” said Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester.
“I truly believe violent crime prevention is a shared responsibility, and today’s overwhelming community participation is evidence of the success we can achieve together.”
California gas prices are the highest in the nation. At some gas stations in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the price of a gallon of fuel exceeds $7.
People turning in rifles, shotguns and air guns got $25 bank cards, according to Forbes, while those turning in assault rifles or handguns got a $200 bank card and an iPad.
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