Mayor To Announce Donation Of Gun Safety Locks

On Tuesday police chiefs and municipal leaders will join Mayor Bill Finch to announce the Newtown-based National Shooting Sports Foundation is donating  2,500 gun safety locks to Bridgeport, Stratford, Fairfield and Waterbury to be distributed to residents free of charge. The announcement will take place at 4 p.m. in the Mayor’s Conference Room of Margaret Morton Government Center, 999 Broad Street.

Statement from the mayor’s office:

“During the last three months, we have taken more than 700 guns off the street through our gun buyback program,” said Mayor Bill Finch. “Now, Bridgeport, Fairfield and Stratford can help make thousands of guns that remain in people’s homes safer.

“Inaction is not an option. We can save lives.”

During the past decade, Project ChildSafe, administered by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, has dispensed 36 million firearm safety kits nationwide. The kits include a cable lock that, when installed, makes a gun impossible to fire, safety brochures, and information about safe storage options.

“We encourage residents to pick up a Project ChildSafe safety kit so that they can learn about the options they have to properly and securely store their firearms at home,” said Steve Sanetti, the CEO of the National Shooting Sports Foundation. “We thank Mayor Finch and Police Chief Gaudett for their leadership in helping to raise awareness about preventing unauthorized access and for distributing these firearm safety kits to gun owners.”

Most firearm accidents in the home can be prevented when gun owners take precautions to prevent a child or other unauthorized person from getting their hands on a firearm. Precautions include storing firearms unloaded in a locked gun safe, lock box or storage case.  The guns should also be cleaned regularly and lubricated to prevent any accidents. Check out clean gun guide to learn how to lube your guns to prevent it from rusting. A gun-locking device can be used as an additional safety precaution. Ammunition should be stored in a locked location separate from firearms.