Kirkland Police collect 151 firearms in exchange for $18,000 in gift cards in June and July

A spokesperson said between the two events, $18,350 worth of gift cards were handed out to Kirkland residents.

KIRKLAND, Wash. - More than 150 firearms have been turned in to the City of Kirkland after two "Guns for Gift Cards" events in June and this past Thursday.

A spokesperson said between the two events, $18,350 worth of gift cards were handed out to Kirkland residents.

"I was here last month and this month because my mother passed away, unfortunately, and she had a handgun I wanted to get rid of and my brother also had a rifle, which I also found cleaning out her house," said Barry Minnick. "This was the perfect opportunity to get rid of both of them and get some cash."

Kirkland Police were in charge of the efforts and collected five AR-15/AK-47 type firearms, dozens of handguns, rifles, shotguns and non-functioning firearms.

"We’ve actually had a lot of people come into the line that aren’t even Kirkland residents and aren’t even interested in getting the gift card, but say ‘I just don’t want these anymore, I just want to destroy them responsibly.’ We do go through those background checks on those firearms, we do actually fire the firearms to get the ballistic information on it to see if it is a firearm that was tied to a previous crime," said Sergeant Eric Karp of Kirkland PD’s Community Services Unit. "So far I don’t believe any of them have come back as being stolen."

Police said it’s difficult to show if programs like this prevent or reduce crime, but said unintentional discharges and firearm suicides are also a factor to consider.

The King County Council is poised to pass legislation next Tuesday for a year-round program to turn in unwanted firearms and ammunition.

"Three-quarters, 75%, of all firearms deaths in Washington are suicide, folks that are having a tough time in their life," said Council member Rod Dembowski, the prime sponsor of the legislation. "We know that a gun in a household means you’re twice as likely to die by firearm deaths than those without guns in their homes."

The King County Sheriff’s Office will run the program which will serve people living in unincorporated King County and any of the ten contracted cities deputies serve.

"We want to reduce all kinds of gun violence that results in death due to suicide and also crime in the community," said Council member Dembowski. "While this will not solve all of that. this is one step that we as a local government can do."

If passed, the year-round program will likely take more firm shape by the end of the year.

Both King County and the City of Kirkland hope to hold additional buyback events later this year. A spokesperson for Kirkland said the city’s next event will be held in September.

"What do you do with them if you’re uncomfortable with them or have outgrown them. You know, it’s not something you want to just go put in the trash can," said Dalynn Farris of Kirkland. "It’s one less thing that someone broke into your house and found. If they would’ve been doing this as a way to come dispose of them responsibly, I would’ve brought it for free."

Here is the breakdown of Kirkland Police Department’s two events:

June 25: 45 participants, 91 firearms turned in for destruction