For the third year in a row, the city is working with local sponsors to offer a pre-Mother's Day gun buyback program. But this time, there might be some competition.
The city is offering vouchers or gift cards in amounts of $100 and $200 to individuals who bring in weapons today to six different sites - with no questions asked about ownership or identity.
However, this year, a local gun-rights activist plans to show up at the Mission Hills site to inspect guns and refer owners of useful firearms to local gunshops that will be willing to purchase them. Under the plan, those guns will then be donated to women, who will be given training and ammunition so they can protect themselves.
Bruce Boyer, who heads a group called Sons of Liberty L.A. and owns a San Fernando Valley-based alarm company, said he believes his group will have thousands of dollars to spend on the weapons.
"Rather than see perfectly good weapons destroyed, we will be out there offering to buy them," said Boyer, who has clashed frequently with city officials over the mobile billboards he uses to advertise his firm.
By press time, the LAPD did not have a response to Boyer's plan to detour would-be gun donors to local gunshops.
Boyer owns Lone Star Security, a Valley-based alarm company that has been fighting City Hall for the right to place mobile sign trailers on streets throughout the city, with a high concentration in the Valley. City officials have been
fighting to outlaw the signs, which are seen as a public nuisance.At last year's gun buyback, more than 2,500 rifles and handguns were turned in. The first year of the program resulted in the purchase of more than 1,700 weapons.
The city is offering gift cards to Ralph's supermarkets and prepaid Visa cards for weapons - $100 for handguns, rifles and shotguns and $200 for assault weapons.
The program will operate from 9 a.m., to 2 p.m., today at six locations. They include the Facey Medical Center parking lot, 11165 Sepulveda Blvd., Mission Hills; Florentine Gardens, 5951 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; and LAFD Fire Academy, Frank Hotchkiss Training Academy, 1700 Stadium Way, Los Angeles.
Once purchased by the city, the weapons will be melted down. For further information, call 1-877-LAPD247.
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