Police Department Swamped After Offering ‘Gas For Guns’ Buyback

A California police department may have found a silver lining in soaring gas prices.

The Sacramento Police Department held a gun buyback program, but instead of offering cash for firearms, it handed out $50 gas cards. The response was so overwhelming that the department ran out of cards just 45 minutes into what was supposed to be a five-hour event.

“As a department, we will continue to use innovative ideas to increase the safety of our community,” said Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester. “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.”

134 Firearms Exchanged in Gas for Guns Gun Buyback. Full press release available here: https://t.co/SAsztw4D1y pic.twitter.com/35GsZUQMrt

— Sacramento Police (@SacPolice) May 22, 2022

The event took in 134 firearms as over 100 people exchanged guns for gas money. Participants were required to bring the guns to a city police precinct, unloaded and in the trunk of their car to collect. They did not have to give their names.

Officials said they took in at least one AR-15 style rifle, components for homemade “ghost guns” and several illegally altered firearms.

The department’s Facebook page said members of the public who showed up to swap guns for gas cards often said they were unfamiliar with firearms, did not know if their guns were legal, or were unable to safely store them as the main reasons for participating in the exchange.

One reason they apparently did not cite was the high price of gas. Analysts are warning that nationwide gas prices could skyrocket from their current $4.589 average per gallon to more than $6 per gallon by the end of summer. In some parts of California, a gallon already costs over $6.

Gun buybacks have been used for years by local law enforcement to get firearms out of

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