Sheriff’s deputies collect 270 firearms during La Mesa buyback

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office collected 270 firearms on Saturday in La Mesa during its latest gun buyback event aimed at getting unwanted weapons off the street, department officials announced.

Deputies provided community members $100 gift cards for each handgun, rifle and shotgun that was brought in and $200 gift cards for each assault weapon, according to sheriff’s officials.

The office only provides gift cards for weapons that are in working condition and promises anonymity to those turning over the guns. Deputies also handed out free gun cable locks, used to safely store weapons, to anyone who wanted one.

The office checks serial numbers of the collected firearms, referring any found to have been involved in crimes to the appropriate law enforcement agency, officials said. Deputies will contact the owners of any firearms found to be stolen. Remaining weapons will be destroyed.

Gun owners can always turn in unwanted weapons at any sheriff’s station or substation or any other law enforcement agency, sheriff’s officials said. The weapons should be in the trunk of a vehicle until deputies give further instructions.

The Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from other local law enforcement agencies, periodically holds gun buyback events around the county in order to “keep our communities safe by getting unwanted firearms off our streets,” department officials said in a statement.

Saturday’s event in La Mesa was the office’s most successful gun buyback event in nearly two years, since December 2023, when deputies collected 293 firearms at an event in Vista.

Sheriff’s deputies bought back 226 weapons last month during an event in Encinitas and 144 firearms during a May buyback event in San Marcos.

City News Service contributed to this report.