City of Richmond to host second gun buyback; opportunity for safe disposal
Dec 13, 2024
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The City of Richmond is hosting a gun buy-back event for what they call a way to curb gun violence.
City officials and the Richmond Police Department (RPD) said events like this help get unwanted firearms off the street.
The city partnered with the New Life Deliverance Tabernacle at 900 Decatur Street to host the event on Saturday, Dec. 14, from 8 a.m. to noon. This is the second buy-back since the pilot event in 2022 when 474 guns were handed over.
You can drop off any firearm, no questions asked. But you do have to be a Richmond resident and 18 or older to do so. Police ask you to bring the firearm unloaded in the trunk of your car for drop-off.
Police said the buy-back reduces the availability of guns in the area, provides an opportunity for safe disposal, and raises awareness of gun violence in the community.
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney announced the gun buy-back program in 2022.
"We have too many guns in the hands of too many individuals who shouldn’t have guns," he said during his State of the City Address in 2022.
Depending on the type of gun you turn in, you could be eligible for a $250 gift card.
And a reminder, the Richmond Police Department offers free gun safes at all precincts. All you have to do is register for it when you pick it up.