Sunday, December 14, 2003

The Goods For Guns program yesterday collected 412 operable weapons in exchange for supermarket certificates, bringing its two-day total to 562 guns.

The total marked the first time in the program's 10-year existence that the number of guns collected rose from the preceding year. Last year, 496 guns were collected.

Over the 10-year span, a total of 8,192 guns have been collected.

The lower total of 150 guns on Dec. 6 was attributed to the heavy snowfall the day before, said program spokesman Nathaniel Glosser.

Those who turned in a handgun received a $50 gift certificate and those who turned in a rifle received a $25 certificate.

The program, officially known as Goods for Guns of Allegheny County Inc., spent $22,500 on the certificates, money that it received from foundations, hospitals, and individuals.

The program is the nation's oldest continually operated gun buyback program and has exchanged more guns than any other such program in the country, Glosser said. The goal of the program is to reduce the incidence of childhood gun injury and death.

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