Nassau County offers to buy back illegal guns

Another round of Nassau County's gun buy-back program, which pays donors anonymously for turning in illegal firearms, is set for a Uniondale church Saturday, authorities said Monday.

"No personal information is required, no forms need to be signed, and no video or audio footage will be recorded," Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said in a news release.

Holding the event at local churches fosters an environment of trust, she said.

The operation, run jointly by Nassau County police and the district attorney's office, pays individuals who bring in illegal guns $200 apiece. Guns can be brought to the Uniondale Tabernacle of Joy Church at 1070 Brookside Ave., in Uniondale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

Since introducing the program in December 2008, agencies have collected 1,609 weapons, according to the county. Saturday marks the seventh collection in the program.

The county buy back is separate from the police-run GunStoppers initiative launched in February 2008. Both programs are both funded through money seized in criminal prosecutions.

For more information on the gun buy-back effort, call 516-382-0152.