In lean times, SoCal residents trade guns for food

[Ban Hammer 14,291]

LOS ANGELES – A program to exchange guns for gifts brought in a record number of weapons this year as residents hit hard by the economy look under the bed and in closets to find items to trade for groceries.

The annual Gifts for Guns program ended Sunday in Compton, a working class city south of Los Angeles that has long struggled with gun and gang violence. In a program similar to ones in New York and San Francisco, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department allows residents to anonymously relinquish firearms in return for $100 gift cards for Ralphs supermarkets, Target department stores or Best Buy electronics stores.

Turning in assault rifles yields double that amount.

In years past, Target and Best Buy were the cards of choice, with residents wanting presents for the holidays.

This year, most asked for the supermarket cards, said sheriff's Sgt. Byron Woods.

"People just don't have the money to buy the food these days," he said.

Authorities said Sunday that a record 965 firearms and two hand grenades were handed in during the two weekends the program was in operation. That's more than in any other year and easily eclipses last year's total of 387 guns collected over both weekends.

Compton's violent history has been chronicled in such gangsta rap albums as N.W.A.'s "Straight Outta Compton." But Woods said most of the residents who turned in weapons were "family people."

"One guy said he had just got laid off from his job," Woods said. "He turned in five guns and said it would really help him to put food on the family's table."

Gun owners dropped their weapons off at a local grocery store parking lot. Deputies checked the weapons to see whether they had been used in crimes, then destroyed them.

The annual drive started in 2005 after a spike in killings, though the murder rate has since dropped.

One man brought in a Soviet-era semiautomatic carbine.

"If that got into the wrong hands of gangbangers, they could kill several people within minutes," Woods said. "Our biggest fear is a house getting burglarized and these guns getting taken."

The drive also has yielded antique weapons.

Gift cards for the guns exchange were paid mostly by Los Angeles County, but the three companies involved and the city of Compton, which contracts the county for police protection, also donated funds.

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charles is loading up his truck with food and heading to cali

[Ling Ling 22]

charles is loading up his truck with food and heading to cali

THAT's what I was thinking.

Ok...part of what I was thinking.

The other things I was thinking were...who just has 2 grenades laying around? And I feel sorry for the rare antiques that will be destroyed.

And now I know how to dispose of a murder weapon

But the biggest question I have, is how they connect N.W.A. with the reality of the gangBangers in Compton?

That's like including Leonardo DiCapria in book about the Titanic.

They were ACTORS. All of them. How do you have time to be a drug dealing, pimping, murderer by day, and still have time for a successful career in the music

business, ALL without getting caught by the police? And now Ice Cube is making Disney films? How do you go from being a street thug to a movie mogul?

Only in the movies.

[Ban Hammer 14,291]

charles is loading up his truck with food and heading to cali

THAT's what I was thinking.

Ok...part of what I was thinking.

The other things I was thinking were...who just has 2 grenades laying around? And I feel sorry for the rare antiques that will be destroyed.

And now I know how to dispose of a murder weapon

But the biggest question I have, is how they connect N.W.A. with the reality of the gangBangers in Compton?

That's like including Leonardo DiCapria in book about the Titanic.

They were ACTORS. All of them. How do you have time to be a drug dealing, pimping, murderer by day, and still have time for a successful career in the music

business, ALL without getting caught by the police? And now Ice Cube is making Disney films? How do you go from being a street thug to a movie mogul?

Only in the movies.

i agree, those antiques are a part of history. plus what i see in this is if your gun was stolen, the police will, in the above scenario, have possession of it but they won't return it to you.

another downside - i wonder how many homes will be robbed now so people can trade in the guns for food, no questions asked.

eta: excellent point on a murder weapon

Edited December 8, 2008 by charles!

[Ling Ling 22]

i agree, those antiques are a part of history. plus what i see in this is if your gun was stolen, the police will, in the above scenario, have possession of it but they won't return it to you.

another downside - i wonder how many homes will be robbed now so people can trade in the guns for food, no questions asked.

eta: excellent point on a murder weapon

Come on, you KNOW that makes the PD happier than all get out, NOT having to return a stolen gun.

Yeah, it probably will spur more crime....and possibly by people who otherwise wouldn't think of stealing guns, or committing crime.

Hmmm, so we can afford to give away thousands of dollars worth of food, but let's make it challenging.

WOW, how to turn your neighbors on you....offer them the reward of an essential...like food..

No guns, no gravy. Now go find me some guns.

[Amby 490]

saw this one on the news the other day

[Der Bücherwurm 1]

charles is loading up his truck with food and heading to cali

Getting ready for when the White House changes hands? Should we look for you on the grassy knoll or up in the 3rd floor window?

(Pretty scary that there are people out there with hand grenades though.)

[Ban Hammer 14,291]

charles is loading up his truck with food and heading to cali

Getting ready for when the White House changes hands? Should we look for you on the grassy knoll or up in the 3rd floor window?

(Pretty scary that there are people out there with hand grenades though.)

you'll find me in a foxhole in front of the house

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