Santa Clara County has pledged $160,000 to help remove unwanted guns from the streets, in a no-questions-asked gun buyback program to begin on March 2. It becomes the latest California municipality to address growing concerns over gun violence through buyback programs.
The $160,000 will come from the County’s budget, including $10,000 from the District Attorney’s office.
The price, says County officials, can quickly be accounted for by savings from preventing even a few gun-related crimes. The average cost for treating a gunshot victim at County hospitals is $50,000. Last year, there were 79 deaths involving a gun, including 41 suicides.
Last month, Marin officials held a similar program using privately raised funds. That program ran out of money in the first day and officials issued vouchers for weapons to continue removing firearms from the streets.
The Santa Clara program will offer $100 for any handgun, rifle, or shotgun surrendered, and will pay $200 for assault rifles.
Read the full story at the San Jose Mercury News.