Locals Can Swap Weapons For Cash With Romeoville Gun Buy-Back Program

ROMEOVILLE, IL — Residents will have the chance to trade their unwanted guns in for cash through an upcoming event with the Romeoville Police Department.

The Gun Buy-Back Program will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 20 at the police department's west entrance, 1050 W. Romeo Road.

During the four-hour, no-questions-asked event, locals can trade their weapons and be paid $60 apiece, with a max of three trade-ins. Ammunition will also be accepted, but no payment will be made if no weapon is turned in, officials said.

"Police officers across the country see many instances where suspects, particularly juveniles, commit a crime with an older weapon that the rightful owner no longer uses or has forgotten about or was previously owned by someone who is now deceased or has left the home," police said in a news release. "Our goal is to reduce the amount of firearms within our community that fall into this category."

Weapons should be unloaded and placed in a bag or other container and transported in the trunk or back seat of the car, officials said. Participants who do not have a valid Firearm Owner's Identification Card will be given amnesty during transportation as long as they "travel in a direct route from their home to the drop off point," according to a news release.

People who want to turn in a weapon but don't have transportation or prefer an officer to handle the weapon can contact the police department at 815-886-7219.