Gun locks available from police for free

Between 1979 and 1999, more than 10,000 children and teens died from accidental shootings in the United States, according to a study by the Children's Defense Fund.

That's why, in an effort to prevent future tragedies, a national sports shooting organization has made free gun locks available to Southeast Missouri residents.

Project ChildSafe is a national program promoting safe firearm handling and storage through educational messages and the distribution of gun locks.

Last week, hundreds of locks were dropped off by volunteers at sheriff and police departments in Jackson, Cape Girardeau, Marble Hill, Benton and Chaffee. The program has distributed 508,300 locks to agencies in Missouri in the last 30 days.

The locks have a steel cable loop permanently secured at one end to a padlock. If properly installed, the gun is unloaded and the cable keeps a firearm's action from closing.

Project ChildSafe is an expansion of the Project HomeSafe program developed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. It is supported by a $50 million U.S. Department of Justice grant and is a component of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the nationwide program to reduce gun crime to create safer neighborhoods.

Cape Girardeau police received 300 locks. They are available from the community relations office at the station at 40 S. Sprigg St., said Sgt. Rick Schmidt. Residents may have up to three or four locks per gun owner, if that's how many they need.

"The whole focus of the program is to promote safe firearm handling and storage," he said.

In June 2002, police gave away more than 600 locks donated by the NSSF at a booth outside the Cape Girardeau Wal-Mart.

Schmidt demonstrated the locks to passers-by and questioned children what they'd do if they found a gun. Children who said they'd leave a gun alone and find an adult received blue ribbons.

Jackson police also have locks available at their station on the northwest corner of Jackson Boulevard and Hope Street, said Capt. Robert Hull.

"We'll put up a sign, that's how we're going handle it for now," he said. "It's a safety factor, as far as parents who own handguns or anything like that."

Neither of the spokesmen could recall any accidental shootings involving children having occurred locally in recent memory.

NSSF, with over 2,500 members, is the shooting sports industry's largest trade association. Formed in 1961, it manages a variety of outreach programs with an emphasis on promoting firearm safety.

Project ChildSafe partners with governors, lieutenant governors, U.S. attorneys, community leaders and law enforcement to distribute free safety kits to gun owners in all states. In 2002, the program distributed 2.4 million safety kits to 44 states.

mwells@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160