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Crowds Head To Church In Uniondale For Gun Buyback

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- People lined up an hour ahead of time Saturday at a gun buyback event in Uniondale, Long Island.

As WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported, the event began Saturday morning at Grace Cathedral Church, at 944 Jerusalem Ave. in Uniondale. Nassau County police Sgt. Patrick Ryder said there is a reason the county has held the event 13 times.

Crowds Head To Church In Uniondale For Gun Buyback

"It shows that there are more and more guns on the street than ever today. We've been constantly reducing shootings in the county. I think we're down close to 77 percent in the last three years," Ryder said. "But every once in a while, a gun gets in the wrong hands and we have a bad situation."

Over 3,000 guns have been taken off the streets because of the program. The sergeant said even if a gun owner is responsible, the gun could be stolen and used to commit a crime.

"If that gun is in your house and you don't want that gun, bring it to a gun buy back," he said.

In a February gun buyback event at the same church, the doors were only open about 20 minutes before police collected 50 weapons.

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