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County Executive's Office

Results from Dane County’s Gift Cards for Guns

August 16, 2022
Elise Schaffer, PIO, (608) 284-6142
Sheriff's Office

On Saturday, August 13, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the City of Madison Police, held their first Gift Cards for Guns event at the Alliant Energy Center. During the four-hour event, a total of 577 weapons were surrendered in exchange for $43,380 in gift cards for gas and groceries.

“We’re very pleased with the results from this effort to interrupt the access to guns in our community. It’s important to remember that we will never know if we have prevented an injury or death. We can’t measure something that did not happen,” said Sheriff Kalvin Barrett. “But by providing this opportunity for people to safely dispose of their unwanted firearms, we can undoubtedly say that these guns will never be used in a crime, a suicide, a domestic violence incident or an accident.”

Specifically, we can share these results:

  • 266 cars went through the line

  • 577 total weapons surrendered include:

    • 333 long guns, including rifles, shotguns and 11 assault-style rifles

    • 95 handguns, including revolvers and semi-automatic pistols

    • 93 pellet/BB/paintball guns

    • 1 Cross Bow pistol

    • 55 homemade weapons (3D, Slam guns)

    • And 380 lbs. of misc. ammunition

Community organizations and businesses including: Madison Gas and Electric, Tellurian, Robinia Courtyard, Boys and Girls Club of Dane County and the NAACP Dane County Branch 36AB, along with several private citizens donated a total of $8,525 in gift cards toward the program, giving us over $45,500 in available funds. If not for a last minute donation from the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County, all of the funds would have been depleted. In some cases, participants turned in their gun without wanting or receiving a gift card. This resulted in $1400 of gift cards available for others. All of the serial numbers available have been checked for stolen status and none have been reported as stolen.

“We’ve seen all too often that when guns end up in the wrong hands, there can be devastating consequences,” said Dane County Executive Joe Parisi. “Thanks to the Dane County Sheriff’s Office for coordinating this event and providing an opportunity for those in our community to safely turn in their unwanted firearms.”

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