CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – More than two years after Chief Michael Kochis started talking about it, CPD is ready to go this coming week with its first-ever gun buyback event. It’s Friday, June 20 at Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church from 10AM-to-2PM, and there are gift cards available valued with the type of firearm returned. Kochis started talking about doing an event like this back in March 2023, a month after he first came to Charlottesville. City Council passed an enabling ordinance in July of that year, but it’s taken this long to do the work to put it together,

“I did very little other than talk about it, but my staff – specifically Sgt. Eric Thomas, Lt. Greg Wade and their whole staff – has done all the work. All the heavy lifting,” Kochis said.

He says people tell him all the time there’s no data showing gun buybacks work. But Kochis begs to differ, “If we get one firearm off the street someone doesn’t want. doesn’t get in the wrong hands and an opportunity to have conversations or give literature about being a responsible gun owner to one person, I think it’s a success.”

Kochis stresses you don’t have to show ID and there are no questions asked. Click here for full details.