Circle K and BRAVE to hold 'Gas for Guns' exchange event on Saturday

BATON ROUGE - The Mayor’s Office and local law enforcement are uniting with Circle K and BRAVE to host another “Gas for Guns” exchange program this Saturday.

The event is scheduled for Feb. 20 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at McKowen Missionary Baptist Church, located at 1255 Louise Street in Baton Rouge.

“Gas for Guns” is a “no questions asked” gun buyback program that was launched in partnership with the Circle K Corporation, the Baton Rouge Area Violence Elimination (BRAVE) program) along with local and federal law enforcement agencies to offer gas coupons between $50 and $300 in value in exchange for each qualifying handgun or assault weapon.

The Mayor’s Office says unsecured guns are especially dangerous to children, not to mention the fact that crimes are committed every year with guns that were stolen or used without the owner’s permission. In an effort to reduce these risks, city officials urge residents to dispose of firearms and ammunition that they no longer want to keep in their homes using the safe alternative of the “Gas for Guns” event.

During the exchange program, any functional, non-replica pistol or revolver smaller than 0.380 caliber can be exchanged for $50 gas cards. Pistols that are 0.380 caliber or greater can be swapped for $100 cards. The program offers $300 gas cards for each “assault style” rifle as long as they are a functional variant of an automatic or semi-automatic rifle that is currently in use by military forces with a caliber of 9 mm, 7.62 mm or 5.56 mm. Guns that ineligible for gas cards in the exchange can be dropped off for safe disposal and destruction by law enforcement without a gas card exchange.

Program organizers say they are offering the highest incentive for assault rifles because they are the most expensive and also represent the weapons of choice for many criminals. Criminals also tend to prefer higher caliber handguns, so their incentive is also increased.

Law enforcement officers at the exchange will accept firearms without asking questions about the donors’ identities or how they came to be in possession of the guns. Donors who are uncomfortable with bringing a firearm to the exchange site can call local police or the sheriff’s office at any time to make arrangements for officers to come collect the weapons, however gas cards will not be proved at any other time than the program date.

Donors arriving by car should have their firearms safely stowed in the trunk. Donors arriving on foot should have their guns in a sealed or closed container, such as a bag, backpack or box.

The East Baton Rouge “Gas for Guns” exchange program is made possible by the following community partners: Circle K Corporation, Mayor-President of East Baton Rouge Parish, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, Baton Rouge City Police Department, Baton Rouge City Constable’s Office, East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office, Louisiana State Police, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Baton Rouge Crimestoppers and Baton Rouge Area Violence Elimination.