Toronto

504 guns handed to Toronto police in 1st week of buyback program

Toronto police officers say they collected 504 firearms during the first week of their three week gun buyback program.

Police say the 349 long guns and 155 handguns collected will be destroyed

Toronto police officers have already collected more than 500 guns in the first week of their three week buyback program. (CBC)

Toronto police officers say they collected 504 firearms during the first week of their three week gun buyback program.

Police say the 349 long guns and 155 handguns will all be destroyed.

Any Toronto resident who wants police to pick up an operable, registered or unregistered gun from their home will be paid $200 for a long gun and $350 for a handgun.

The guns will be inspected to determine if they've been used in a crime, and people who hand them over to police will not face a charge for possessing or unsafely storing a firearm.

Anyone who has a gun they want to turn in is asked to call police so an officer can come pick it up — they do not want people bringing guns to police stations.

The gun buyback program ends on May 17.