Nassau police holding gun buyback event

The Nassau Police Department is encouraging residents to turn in unlicensed and unloaded firearms as part of a gun buyback day scheduled for Feb. 16 in Uniondale.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon at Grace Cathedral International Church, located at 886 Jerusalem Ave.

The county will pay residents $200 for handguns and $100 for rifles and assault rifles, said Brian Nevin, spokesman for Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano.

The program is funded by Police Department asset forfeiture funds.

Since Mangano took office in 2010, Nevin said, he has held eight gun buyback days with authorities collecting 980 weapons.