It is such a tragedy when a child is shot and killed, but more so when a child is accidentally shot by a gun because of curiosity about the weapon. In an effort to hopefully end situations like this, there are four police departments in Mobile that offer free gun lock programs: Mobile, Satsuma, Chickasaw, and Daphne. Two of them actually have the locks ready to pick up: Mobile and Daphne. Chickasaw and Satsuma say they plan on ordering more soon
At the Daphne Police Department, the FREE GUN locks are part of a project called Project Child Safe. The project is sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. It gives police departments free gun locks for you to use on your guns at home. Lt. Jud Beedy with the Daphne Police Department says the locks are doing they’re job. So far there have not been any incidents regarding a child being shot when a gun lock was used. Lt. Beedy tells people that we have free gun locks so if you need one, come and get them.
Gun locks are meant to teach children that guns are not toys and should not be played with. The purpose of the lock is simple: to stop the gun from firing – even if a child does get a hold of one. It forces the gun into a position where it can’t be used so there’s no bullets in the gun.
Here’s how they work: Empty the bullets from the gun first. The lock cable goes through the handle to block the slide on top of the gun from closing. Lock it, then hide the key. Even if a child did find a way to put a bullet in the gun, it still wouldn’t fire the bullet. Each lock comes with its own instruction manual for different types of guns like shotguns, pistols, rifles, and revolvers.
We are sure there are many responsible gun owners, but if you have children in your home (or grandchildren that come by to visit), why not take the extra step and take advantage of these “free” gun locks to protect an innocent child.
We at Ron Kim Law always urge safety in any aspect of owning a gun.
