CHULA VISTA: Gun buyback event nets 90 guns, rocket launcher

(CNS) – About 90 guns and rocket launcher were exchanged for
grocery store gift cards during a no-questions-asked buyback operation at the
South Bay Courthouse in Chula Vista.

The Chula Vista Police Department, the National City Police Department,
the San Diego County Sheriff's Department and the San Diego County District
Attorney's Office hosted the five-hour “Guns for Gift Cards” exchange
Saturday, Chula Vista police Lt. Roxana Kennedy said.

“This event represents the collaborative efforts of several law
enforcement agencies who share a common goal of keeping our communities safe,”
Chula Vista police Chief David Bejarano said in a statement prior to the event.
“We welcome the opportunity to remove unwanted firearms from our streets and
possibly prevent yet another senseless act of violence.”

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department used asset forfeiture funds to
purchase the gift cards, according to Kennedy. The Chula Vista and National
City police departments, the District Attorney's Office and the Chula Vista
Police Foundation also contributed funds.

All the weapons collected were to be destroyed, Kennedy said.

Saturday's buyback event was the second of its kind in recent months,
according to the District Attorney's Office. Officials collected more than 350
guns during a similar event in Southeast San Diego in December hosted by the
United African-American Ministerial Action Council.