Menlo Park Police Department participates in gun buy back event on Feb. 23

The Menlo Park Police Department, the East Palo Alto Police Department, and the Palo Alto Police Department have joined forces and partnered with Protect Our Children, Inc. to sponsor a gun buy back event with a goal of reducing the number of firearms in the three communities.

Local residents are invited to anonymously surrender operable firearms in the parking lot of East Palo Alto City Hall at 2415 University Avenue in East Palo Alto on Saturday, February 23, 2013, between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. In exchange for each operable firearm surrendered, people will receive up to $300 cash depending on the type of firearm ($100 for a handgun, $200 for a rifle or shotgun, or $300 for an assault weapon). Cash is limited and subject to availability.

Guns will be accepted anonymously by police officers, with no questions asked. No names or license plates will be recorded. The guns will be marked for destruction.

In order to maintain the safest possible atmosphere, police ask that firearms be brought to the event unloaded and left in the trunks of vehicles until officers on scene provide further safe-handling instructions.

This event is part of Operation SMART (Strategic Multi-Agency Response Team), a collaborative effort of the police departments of East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Palo Alto launched in November 2011 to address the recent increase in gang violence.

“The Menlo Park Police Department is pleased to be participating in this program to get guns off of our streets and out of our communities,” said Interim Police Chief Lee Violett of the Menlo Park Police Department. “We would like to thank the Palo Alto Police Department and the founders of Protect Our Children, Inc. for spearheading this effort.”

Protect Our Children, Inc. is a newly-formed locally-based community group that has applied to be a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.