Orange County supervisor briefs council on recent gun buyback effort; Garden Grove event planned Nov. 8
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Summary
Supervisor Doug Chaffee updated the council on a county-sponsored anonymous gun buyback program that offers $300 gift cards for assault weapons and $100 for other operable firearms, and promoted a Nov. 8 buyback at Garden Grove Police Department and a free gun-lock distribution program.
Supervisor Doug Chaffee addressed the council to describe the county's third gun buyback program and announced an upcoming event to be hosted by the Garden Grove Police Department on Nov. 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. He said the program is anonymous and uses gift cards rather than cash: $300 for an item classified as an assault weapon under California law and $100 for other operable firearms.
Chaffee said participants drive through, pop their trunk, and officers inspect and grade the firearm; stolen weapons are commonly recovered in residential and vehicle burglaries and the goal of the buyback is public-safety risk reduction. He also described a county program to distribute free gun locks (up to three per request) and a web portal (d4.ocgov.com/freegunlocks) to request locks.
Chaffee cited results from earlier buybacks, saying countywide efforts recovered 757 weapons — including 53 assault weapons — and said organizers hope to repeat and expand buybacks in the future.
A short clarifying exchange followed: a resident asked whether weapons illegal in California could be turned in and Chaffee affirmed the program is anonymous, names are not taken and photography is discouraged; weapons are then destroyed.
Why it matters: Buyback programs are one tactic local authorities use to remove firearms from circulation and provide risk-mitigation tools (locks) for residents.
No council action was required or taken.
