Long Beach's buy-back day collects nearly 40 guns

The Long Beach Police Department hosted a gun buyback event for the first time in six years Saturday, July 8. They collected the weapons at Evangel Revival Community Church in the North Park area, nearby where an anti-gun rally took place in April.

A total of 39 weapons were turned in during the four-hour buyback event, including 30 handguns, a sawed-off shotgun, seven long guns, an assault rifle and a “ghost gun.” Ghost guns are untraceable firearms that can be bought online and assembled with different parts at home.

Gun buyback days have become popular — and effective — events across the state. There have been numerous across Nassau County. Gun buybacks are events where people can turn in any guns they have to law enforcement with no questions asked and receive some kind of compensation in return. The overall goal of gun buyback programs is to reduce the number of gun deaths and injuries in the community the event is being held.

Long Beach has done this event in the past, but the last one was about six years ago. Acting City Manager Ron Walsh, who is also the police commissioner, has been here for about three years, so this is the first one he’s helped to bring to the city. Part of the reason why they don’t happen more frequently, is that they are very expensive to organize. That’s why the city had some help this year.

Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly and the Nassau County Police Department contributed to the event, allowing it to take place.

“We partnered this year with our district attorney, Anne Donnelly, who put up the majority of the money for this buyback,” Walsh said in a past interview. “We also have a commitment from the Nassau County Police Department and their detectives are going to be helping us, too. I did also speak with the county executive and he was very supportive of the program as well.”

Donnelly guaranteed to contribute $40,000 for the event, and the county has agreed to contribute an additional $10,000.

People giving back guns were able to bring them to the Evangel Revival Community Church from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to do so. People received $200 for handguns and $400 for ghost guns or assault rifles. Anyone turning them in remained anonymous.

Walsh reiterated that there are a lot of guns in society and a lot aren’t used for crime. There are guns that people have at home that they don’t know what to do with it. He said it was an opportunity for people to get rid of rifles, handguns, shotguns and others that people don’t know how to dispose of.