By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
Got an old gun laying around you’d like to get rid of?
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office will take it off your hands, if you like.
Their first ever public event to give citizens the opportunity to dispose of unwanted firearms or ammunition is set for next month.
While they won’t pay you for it, they will have free gun locks to give away. And their SWAT and dive teams will put some of their equipment on display.
It happens on Jan. 19, a Saturday, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the McLane Fire Department at 125 Delphi Road NW, Olympia.
Sheriff’s Lt. Greg Elwin says the gun givers can choose if their donated weapon gets traded for ammunition for deputies to use in training or gets destroyed.
“If you want it ground up, we’ll do that,” Elwin said.
If it’s traded, it will go to a vendor who will resell it, he said.
Also on hand the same day will be a collection bin for unwanted or old prescription drugs as well as a child identification program provided by Olympia-Thurston County Crime Stoppers.