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HCSO to host ‘Drive and Drop Gun Swap’ event
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is hosting a gun-swap event on Sept. 12, which is opportunity for people to get rid of their unwanted guns safely, and get some cash for them too.
TAMPA, Fla. - A local law enforcement agency is bringing back an annual program that allows people to get rid of unwanted firearms safely and helps keep weapons out of the wrong hands.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is once again holding the event, called "Drive & Drop Gun Swap." In return, the individual providing the weapon will receive $50 in cash for each firearm. According to the sheriff, it's all anonymous.
The event will be held Sept. 12 from 8 a.m. to noon at the following locations:
Falkenburg Road Jail: 520 N Falkenburg Road, Tampa
Hillsborough County West Service Unit: 9805 Sheldon Road, Tampa
"Drive and drop is the perfect title for it," said Sheriff Chad Chronister during an interview on Good Day. "You literally drive in. We ask that you leave those unwanted firearms in the trunk of your car, backseat, unloaded, if possible. If you don't know how, a deputy will unload it and remove it."
He said, sometimes, an individual may have an inherited a gun they don't want.
"They've inherited a firearm, they don't know what to do with it, there's a bunch of firearms," Chronister said. "They don't want them in the house. They're afraid it will fall into the hands of a child or a bad guy that may use it for another crime. Whatever the reason, they don’t want the responsibility of an unwanted firearm. It's totally voluntary."
An unwanted gun could be an opportunity for criminals to get their hands on it, he added.
"This will certainly help us prevent additional crimes moving forward," Chronister said. "If it's not something you really care about, you're not really worried about securing it, and it falls into the wrong hands and the wrong people."
In past gun-swap events, the agency has linked the weapons to previous criminal activity.
"One went all the way back to, I think, 1961. An individual passed away but his son came and got that firearm because it reminded him of his father," Chronister said. "We'll definitely get some stolen firearms and do everything we can to return them to its rightful owner."
The cash given to the individuals during the event were used from law enforcement trust money.
"When we make those drug busts and they have money … we're using this money to pay that $50 for each firearm," Chronister explained. "So, it's bad guys helping us get those unwanted firearms off the streets."