REMOVING THE ANGER; KIDS EARN PRIZES FOR TURNING IN `VIOLENT' PLAYTHINGS.

Byline: Mary Schubert Daily News Staff Writer

Public response to a local campaign to collect violent video games and toy guns has been modest, as about two dozen residents so far have dropped off the items at City Hall and the sheriff's station.

Last week, city and Sheriff's Department officials announced the effort - which will continue through May 31 - to exchange violent video games and toy guns for free admission to Magic Mountain, Hurricane Harbor or Mountasia Family Fun Center; and free coupons for Santa Clarita Lanes or Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream shops.

The drive began Saturday. Youngsters or their parents can turn in the games and toys at Santa Clarita City Hall, 23920 Valencia Blvd., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Personnel at the Santa Clarita Valley sheriff's station, 23740 W. Magic Mountain Parkway, are accepting the items and handing out the prizes on nights and weekends. There is a limit of one gift per child.

As of Tuesday afternoon, five video games and five toy guns had been dropped off at City Hall. Fifteen people had turned in similar items at the sheriff's station.

City and law enforcement officials came up with the idea in the wake of the fatal shootings two weeks ago at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo.

Saugus resident Rhonda Sheck was the first one to surrender some of the items - a ``Mortal Kombat'' video game and two toy guns that belonged to her 11-year-old son, a fifth-grader.

``I think they're a bad influence on him,'' Sheck said. ``The Columbine thing made me look at what he plays with a little more closely. The (video) games are really violent, and there's no reason for them to be that violent.''

Her son received a pass to Mountasia, an incentive that sold him on the idea, Sheck said.

Ted Guilmette's three children turned in the video games ``Terminator,'' ``Mighty Max'' and ``Zelda'' over the weekend, and the family members spent Sunday at Magic Mountain with the free passes they received.

``I'm going to be much more judgmental on what they get. I'll buy them a baseball video game or a football video game,'' Guilmette said. ``Most of the time, they want the violent video games (because) they're the most fun, but it's not something I'll buy them or recommend somebody else to buy for them.''

His 7-year-old daughter and 8- and 10-year-old sons had owned the games for more than a year. Friends of the kids had brought over other games that were much more explicit, Guilmette said.

``I think they're pretty violent, like `Mortal Kombat,' where your goal is to kill somebody. I never bought them that one,'' Guilmette said. ``My children are still in grade school - fourth, third and second grades. We live in a nice community out here in Acton, but there's violence all around us.''

Mark Anderson's 7-year-old daughter also turned in a video game. His five kids like to copy moves they see on TV wrestling programs and that they used to watch on ``Mighty Morphin Power Rangers,'' so violent video games present images that the youngsters can do without, the Acton resident said.

On occasion, the family has rented some of the games, one of which he described as ``sick - you can plaster the guy and the screen goes red,'' Anderson said. Instead, he prefers to let his children play video games about race cars or baseball that don't have simulated violence.

``In (violent) video games, the more people you kill, the more points you score. (Kids) want to imitate what they see in the video,'' Anderson said. ``At $70 (per game), at that price, just to pollute my kid's head . . .''

Video games that can be played on a home computer or a television screen carry ratings advising that their content is violent. Since two teen-age gunmen killed 12 classmates and a teacher last month in Colorado, such video games have come under attack amid allegations that they numb young minds with fantasy violence as a means of problem solving that carries no consequences.

On the boxes, the manufacturers state the intended audience for each game in ratings like ``teens 13-plus,'' ``mature 17-plus,'' and ``animated'' or ``realistic'' depictions of gore and violence.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

PHOTO (Color) Sheriff's Lt. Steve Dolan displays some of the violent video games residents have turned in to the Sheriff's Department after the massacre at Columbine High School.

Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News