First Day of Guns for Tickets Swap Doesn’t Draw a Blank--but Almost

From vintage World War II pistols to long, lean rifles, several dozen guns found their way into the hands of police Saturday on the first day of a citywide campaign to collect firearms by offering their owners free tickets to shows and sports events.

If police weren’t exactly bowled over by the turnout, they also noted the program still has five days to go and is a first for Los Angeles.

“We really don’t have anything to compare it against, so we’ll see what happens,” said Los Angeles Police Lt. John Dunkin, a department spokesman.

Police on the street were less diplomatic, saying the effort, although well-intentioned, had not received enough advance publicity and would probably appeal to law-abiding citizens. Sponsored by KTTV Channel 11 with the help of Ticketmaster, the “Tickets for Guns” campaign was announced Friday.

“The wrong people are turning in their guns,” said Officer Howard Mathews as he waited at Our Lady of the Valley in Canoga Park, one of six churches where gun owners can drop off their weapons, no questions asked.

Mathews and other officers at the Canoga Park church had collected nine guns within an hour of starting, including a vintage World War II pistol.

The veteran who brought it in, and several other gun owners, told police they were afraid their weapons might be stolen and fall into the wrong hands, Officer Carl Shaw said.

At Guardian Angel Catholic Church in Pacoima, David and Suzanne Smith traded their .32-caliber handgun for a pair of Clippers tickets, saying they were never comfortable owning a gun. Theirs had been a gift from a friend.

“It seemed dangerous to put a bullet in it and it’s just been sitting up on our shelf,” said Smith, a country-Western songwriter who lives in Studio City.

The Smiths were only the second people to arrive at the Pacoima church by midafternoon.

In at least one case, free tickets did not seem to be the main incentive. One gun was hurled into the middle of the street from the window of a speeding BMW.

Officer Gene Sur, who ran to pick up the weapon from the middle of Lehigh Avenue, said he thought the car fled after being stopped by officers. Details of the incident could not be confirmed.

The Los Angeles program was inspired by similar efforts in other cities where officials have been pleased with the results. In Oakland last week, 68 firearms were collected in a day. In San Francisco, law enforcement officials have offered $50 per gun and collected 1,730 pistols, rifles and shotguns in the last year.

To participate in the Los Angeles program, donors should unload the firearms, wrap the weapons and put them in the trunks of their cars, officials said. The guns will be confiscated by a police officer and later destroyed, officials said. Tickets to be exchanged for the guns are limited to a value of $25 each.

The program will continue through Friday, except for today at the following churches: Our Lady Help the Christians, 512 S. Avenue 20; Mt. Tabor Missionary Baptist Church, 6614 S. Western Ave.; The Blessed Sacrament Church, 6657 Sunset Blvd.; New Bethel Baptist Church, 503 Brooks Ave.; Our Lady of the Valley, 22021 Gault St., Canoga Park, and Guardian Angel Catholic Church, 10886 Lehigh Ave., Pacoima.

Hours will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.