ALBUQUERQUE – The city of Albuquerque has collected nearly 170 guns in a buyback program designed to get the weapons off the street.

Albuquerque City Council member Cynthia Borrego said lots of people surrendered their guns and she saw knives also being surrendered along with ammunition.

People received gift cards in exchange for unwanted guns.

Albuquerque TV station KOB reported that each returned gun was checked into a police database to see if it was stolen or part of a crime.

Each firearm is destroyed so it doesn’t end up in the wrong hands.

Albuquerque police said two of the 166 guns collected by the end of Saturday's event turned out to be stolen.