Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and other Southern California law enforcement agency officials melted about 3,400 firearms into highway construction materials Monday morning as part of the 22nd Annual Gun Melt.

The 3,400 weapons, from shotguns to pistols to assault rifles, rusted or brand-new, were confiscated from criminals by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and ten participating law enforcement agencies, according to the news release. The weapons were melted into steel reinforcing bar and will be used for construction upgrades on freeways and bridges in the state of California as well as Arizona and Nevada.

The guns are collected through the “Gifts for Guns” exchange program, which has annually supported the annual Gun Melts, according to the news release. The “Gifts for Guns” exchange program is supported by the San Diego District Attorney’s Office and was created to help curb violence by taking guns off the streets. 

Not only confiscated weapons are melted down, but also donated handguns, standard rifles, and assault rifles, with or without detachable magazines, are donated in exchange for gift cards up to $200, according to officials.

Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga donates its equipment including its furnace and employees to convert these weapons into steel rebar, officials said. Every year, trucks are donated by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works for the transportation of the weapons to the mill.

“The weapons to be destroyed will never be used again to commit a crime, or to threaten, intimidate or harm an innocent victim,“ said LASD Deputies Lillian Peck and Don Walker.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Sheriff Jim McDonnell, Claremont Police Department Chief Paul Cooper and Captain Shelly Vander Veen, El Monte Police Department Captain Dave Vautrin, Manhattan Beach Police Department Lieutenant Christian Eichenlaub, Vice President and General Manager of Gerdau Steel Mill Mark Olson were expected to attend the event, according to the news release.