DETROIT – Police in Detroit are giving parents free gun locks with the goal of preventing accidental shooting deaths of children after recent shootings in the city.
“The Detroit Police Department has secured 1,000 gun locks through Project Safe Child, which will be distributed free to all community members at their residential precincts,” Detroit police Commander Kyra Joy Hope said. “We want to prevent a loaded firearm from being left lying around the house, where a child can just pick it up and play with it. That is a tragedy, waiting to happen.”
Multiple children in Detroit have been injured or killed as the result of a child getting ahold of an unsupervised firearm
“For far too long, front page news headlines included investigations of accidental shootings involving children,” Hope said. “If the gun owners secure their weapons properly. And if they are committing themselves to take the child protective pledge. We will be able to save lives.”
Two children in Detroit were accidentally shot in the span of a week last month. A 4-year-old boy found a gun and accidentally shot himself, police said. An 18-month-old shot and killed a 5-year-old in Detroit after finding unsecured gun.
“Right now, children at home and they’re doing a lot of homeschooling. So, there’s been a lot more time around the house. Just imagine when they’re looking for things to do and they just happen to find a loaded firearm under a mattress, under a bed in a closet. It’s playtime,” Board of Police Commissioner member Martin Jones said. " If you’re going to have firearms within your household, you must secure that firearm, and it’s to protect your own family.”
Parents can take a pledge for gun safety. Children can take the pledge too. Gun locks are available at Detroit precincts for free.
Detroit police are launching a gun safety program.
READ: Metro Detroit father advocates for gun safety training after reports of several children shot