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National News See other National News Articles Title: Popular “Guns 4 Groceries” returns Saturday The popular “Guns 4 Groceries” program that debuted in Central Texas last year to overwhelming interest will return Saturday, officials announced today. Austin police will be on hand to collect the weapons from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Oak Meadow Baptist Church, 6905 South Interstate 35 near William Cannon Drive in South Austin. A key draw: it’s a “no questions asked” program. “The response was overwhelming last time. We had to shut down after a few hours,”said Cary Roberts, executive director for the Greater Austin Crime Commission, an Austin nonprofit that is co-sponsoring the event. “We anticipate the same interest this time.” Participants can collect $200 for each assault rifle, $100 each for handguns and rifles and $10 apiece for air guns, BB guns or replicas, sponsors said. There is a two gun limit per participant. Last June, dozens of participants stood in line for as many as four hours to turn in unwanted weapons, Roberts said. It collected nearly 350 weapons and doled out $30,000 in gift cards to participants, he said. Initially, the commission planned to pay out $8,000 to $10,000 to participants. “We had no idea what response we would get,” Roberts said. “We had planned for 100 weapons and $10,000 (in gift cards). But we ended up at $30,000. We are a little more prepared this time.” This year, the program is allotting $25,000 to $30,000, shorter hours and plans for multiple lines rather than just one, Robert said. “It is a little more streamlined,” Roberts said. “We should be able to process people faster." Donations have been underwritten by the Jastrow Family Foundation, Roberts said. Former Temple-Inland Inc. Chairman and CEO Kenneth M. Jastrow II is a board member for the commission. The move of the program from a Central Austin location South Austin hopefully should mean that more residents in that part of town can participate, Roberts said. “We moved down south to hopefully make it easier for people in that part of the community to participate,” he said. Gun buyback programs have been successful in removing thousands of guns in Chicago, Los Angeles, Oakland, Philadelphia and Washington, Roberts said. And the group hopes to make “Guns 4 Groceries” a bi-annual event, he said. “The Crime Commission got really involved in developing this program to raise public awareness about gun safety and reduce gun violence,” he said. Many of the participants last year had weapons they had inherited and no longer wanted, or were living with children and no longer wanted weapons in the home, Roberts said. Although it’s a “no questions asked” program, weapons are still checked to see if they have been used to commit a documented crime, Roberts said. Last year, none of the weapons turned in were connected to any crimes, he said. The weapons are then destroyed, he said. At least two assault rifles were collected last year, Roberts said. “It’s a good way for people who want to get rid of firearms to do so and know they are going to be destroyed,” he said. When turning in a weapon, police ask participants to follow these rules: — Unload the gun and put the gun and ammunition in separate paper bags. — Upon arrival, tell an officer that you are there to turn in a gun. — Do not remove the gun from the bag unless asked to do so. Poster Comment: Donations have been underwritten by the Jastrow Family Foundation....sounds like a good jewish name.
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#9. To: CadetD (#0)
Update: Texans for Accountable Government Counters APD's "Guns for Groceries" Program
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