San Diego streets are a little safer today after a weekend gun safety event led to the surrender of nearly 140 firearms. The effort was a collaboration between the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, the Chula Vista Police Department, CDCR's Division of Adult Parole Operations, National City Police Department, and the San Diego County District Attorney's Office, according to the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation. Accumulating a mix of handguns, rifles, shotguns, and assault weapons, the event offered a no-questions-asked opportunity for residents to dispose of unwanted firearms.
The collection took place at the South Bay Superior Court House on Dec. 13, where those surrendering firearms were compensated with gift cards, $100 for standard guns, and $200 for the assault-style weapons. A bonus for safety concerns was the distribution of free gun cable locks to individuals who wanted to secure firearms retained in their homes. Despite an often-contentious national debate around gun rights, events like these reflect community efforts to address gun safety on local terms.
All firearms collected during the event will undergo processing to determine their status and classification. Should authorities find that any are stolen, they will seek to return them to their rightful owners. Guns implicated in criminal activity will be transferred to the relevant law enforcement agency for further investigation and prosecution. The fate of the remaining firearms? Legal destruction, ensuring they can never contribute to future tragedy or crime.
