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Police department offers gas gift cards in exchange for guns

The Sacramento Police Department says it ran out of gift cards within 45 minutes

Sacramento Police Department

Sacramento Police Department

By Suzie Ziegler

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Police Department has come up with a winning formula to get guns off the street.

On Saturday, the department held a “Gas for Guns Buyback” event that offered $50 gift cards in exchange for firearms. Police shared the program’s success on Facebook, saying they ran out of gift cards just 45 minutes into the four-hour event.

Most attendees exchanged their guns because they lacked firearms knowledge or because they didn’t have a way to safely store their firearms, police said.

“As a department, we will continue to use innovative ideas to increase the safety of our community,” Chief Kathy Lester wrote on Facebook. “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.”

Ghost guns and “other illegally configured” weapons were among the surrendered firearms, according to police.

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https://twitter.com/SacPolice/status/1528416957065613312

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