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Don't want that gun? Turn it in, and get $50 BY JESSICA SMITH Guns. They could be lying under beds, hiding in boxes in night tables or standing up in closets. And if you don't want them, organizers of the first Ceasefire Medford project do. "We want people to make their own judgment call on the weapons they have in their homes. But we want to get the guns that are hazardous out of their hands," said Ruth Coulthard, director of Ashland's Peace House and an organizer for the Ceasefire project. Leaders say the event, scheduled for May 13, gives owners of unwanted guns a way to dispose of weapons that may be old and damaged. "We've heard stories of widows coming in and donating their husband's rifles," Coulthard said. "We want unwanted weapons ... the ones that have been collecting dust but still pose a public safety hazard." And if improving your home's safety isn't enough incentive, Ceasefire organizers offer each participant a $50 gift certificate to a local retailer. The time and location of the gun turn-in event have yet to be determined. Ceasefire Medford is the Southern Oregon installment of a statewide effort that depends on local volunteers to establish gun turn-in programs. Ceasefire Oregon, a nonprofit organization, was established in 1994 in the Portland area. The gun turn-ins are meant to promote gun safety and call attention to the prevalence of guns in Oregon homes, where they are 43 times more likely to be used to kill a family member or friend rather than an intruder, Ceasefire Oregon leaders say. Since 1994, Ceasefire Oregon has collected more than 3,600 unwanted guns. Although police say they don't expect the gun turn-in program to affect Medford's crime rate, they say getting unwanted and damaged guns out of the home will prevent accidents. The project also will help keep the weapons out of the hands of children, said Lt. Tim George. "We're not looking at this to reduce crime. I don't expect criminals to be turning their guns in," George said. "But it will have an impact on gun safety in the community." Medford police will work with local Ceasefire organizers to collect unwanted guns and destroy them, George said. Under the Ceasefire program, sworn officers must collect the guns -- which are then disabled, cut into pieces and destroyed. Although the program has a "no questions asked" policy for those who turn guns in, George said police will complete background checks on weapons to ensure they have not been stolen or used in a crime. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA