Rockville Leads Montgomery County in Gun Buyback Initiatives
For four years running, the Rockville City Police Department (RCPD) has hosted the region’s annual Gun Buyback event, offering residents and nonresidents alike a simple, anonymous way to turn in unwanted firearms in exchange for gift cards. The event, held at RedGate Park, is a Rockville-led initiative in partnership between RCPD and the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Since its launch in 2022, the program has resulted in the safe surrender of somewhere between 800 and 900 firearms, including handguns, rifles, shotguns, assault weapons, and so-called “ghost guns.” The city’s official reports describe the turnout as steady and community-driven. The results prove that voluntary, local programs can have real impact when built on trust and accessibility.
How the Program Works
The buyback follows a consistent format: no ID required, no questions asked. Residents arrive in vehicles with firearms unloaded in the trunk. RCPD officers retrieve the weapons safely, and participants receive a $100 gift card for functioning long guns or handguns, and $200 for assault-style or privately made firearms. Nonresidents may also participate.
All firearms are later destroyed, eliminating the risk of theft, misuse, or accidental discharge.
“Every gun turned in is one less firearm that could be used in a serious crime, suicide, domestic violence incident, or accidental discharge by a child,” according to RCPD.
The Record So Far
2022: First event held outside RCPD headquarters in downtown Rockville (~300 firearms collected).
2023: Second event moved to RedGate Park to accommodate larger participation (~300 firearms collected).
2024: Third event collected several ghost guns and dozens of semi-automatic rifles (~270 firearms collected)
2025 (upcoming): The fourth event is scheduled for Saturday, November 15, from 9am to 1pm once again at RedGate Park.
Rockville Leads the Way
Each year, city officials have described the effort as a community partnership — but it’s the City of Rockville Police Department doing the planning, logistics, staffing, and on-site coordination, with the city staff producing a steady stream of PR and community outreach.
Funding for the program comes from multiple partners. The Rockville City Police Department provides the site, staffing, and safe disposal logistics, while the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office covers the cost of the gift cards through its community outreach and public-safety budget. Private and faith-based organizations occasionally donate additional cards or funds to support participation, and City of Rockville taxpayers are not directly paying for the incentives themselves.
A recent Fox 5 DC article about this year’s event credited “Montgomery County” as the host. The county’s State’s Attorney’s Office is an important partner, but the event itself is conceived, staffed, and managed by the Rockville City Police Department.
A Model of Local Initiative
Rockville’s buyback isn’t the only firearm-surrender initiative in Montgomery County. The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) and the State’s Attorney’s Office have also partnered with community and faith-based organizations to hold occasional countywide events. But Rockville’s program is the only one that has run year after year, built and sustained by its municipal police force and civil servants.
When residents line up at RedGate Park on November 15, they’ll be taking part in a locally grown City of Rockville public-safety tradition, with Montgomery County standing proudly beside it in partnership.
For more information, visit the Rockville Gun Buyback website.
