Nassau authorities take 173 illegal guns off the streets

A gun buyback program run by the Nassau County police department and the Nassau district attorney's office Saturday at a church in Rockville Centre was responsible for taking 173 illegal but operable handguns off the streets, police said.

"That's 173 weapons out of our homes, away from our children and off the streets of Rockville Centre," Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice said in a prepared statement.

The program was held at Shiloh Baptist Church on North Centre Avenue between 9 a.m. and noon Saturday.

Individuals turning in an illegal gun were paid $200 per handgun. The program is anonymous and licensed guns, BB guns, air pistols, long guns and replicas are not accepted.

Since the start of the program, officials said almost 1,500 illegal handguns have been taken off the streets.

This was the fifth installment of the program.

By JOHN VALENTI
Posted Tuesday, February 2, 2010

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