Lake Co. offering gift cards for guns

The Lake County Chiefs of Police Association and Lake County Crime Stoppers is giving away $50 gift cards in exchange for unwanted guns during the holiday season.

Eight police departments are participating in the annual gun buy-back program, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13. Participants can turn in unwanted firearms, ammunition, and accessories to collect the gift cards.

Fox Lake Police Chief Mike Behan said area residents must follow proper procedures for dropping off weapons. All types of firearms will be accepted, but they must be unloaded and transported in the trunk of a car or in an inaccessible area of a truck or van, he said.

People turning in the weapons are asked to leave the firearms in the vehicle and seek assistance from a police officer inside the police station.

"It's best if people who don't know how to handle a gun not handle the gun themselves," Behan said. "Instead, a trained professional will come out and take care of the weapon for them."

People who would like to turn in guns for the program, but do not have a way to transport the firearms, can contact their local police department and an officer will come by and pick up the weapon.

Crime Stoppers Director Andy Anderson said all firearms and accessories turned over to police will be destroyed. People will receive a $50 gift certificate for each firearm they turn in, with a limit of two gift cards per person.

Anderson added more than 1,500 guns have been turned over to police since the program started in Lake County in 2001.

Participating police stations are: Fox Lake, 301 S. Route 59; Gurnee, 100 N. O'Plaine Road; Lake Forest, 255 Deerpath Road; Lake Zurich, 200 Mohawk Trail; Buffalo Grove, 46 Raupp Blvd.; Mundelein, 221 N. Lake St.; North Chicago, 1850 N. Lewis Ave.; and Round Lake Park, 215 E. Main St.