San Luis Obispo police say they collected 202 guns during the department's first-ever "Groceries for Guns" buyback event on Saturday.
Police offered grocery store gift cards in exchange for unwanted handguns and rifles.
Authorities say they received 101 rifles/shotguns, six assault-style rifles and 95 handguns, and handed out $11,900 worth of grocery gift cards.
At the event on Saturday, Capt. Fred Mickel said the purpose of the program was to "take those guns that people do not want in their home -- maybe inherited them, maybe your significant other passed away and they were a gun person and you weren't, so maybe you don't know how to handle them safely or secure them right."
In a statement released Monday, San Luis Obispo Police Chief Rick Scott added, “In speaking with many of those who brought in unwanted weapons, most had mentioned they had been 'laying around' and wanted to responsibly dispose of them. This was the exact purpose of the program, to give our community members a resource to dispose of unwanted firearms.”
The police department will also take unwanted guns by appointment. Call the SLOPD Property Office at (805) 781-7360 to make an appointment.
