City Encourages Safe Gun Storage by Offering Gun Locks to Residents
From 1999 to 2014, over 400 Wisconsin children were killed by guns, including 167 in Milwaukee County, according to Wisconsin-based Kids Forward.
MILWAUKEE— Today, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and The Master Lock Company announced a donation of 1,000 gun locks to the City of Milwaukee’s Office of Violence Prevention. The locks are Master Lock 90-DSPT, keyed locks that fit over the trigger guard to prevent the gun from firing.
“The mission at The Master Lock Company is to provide peace of mind and protection where people live, work and play, and as a member of the Milwaukee community we are proud to make a donation that will positively impact families in Milwaukee,” said Rebecca Smith, Vice President of Marketing at The Master Lock Company. “We are honored to join the City Office of Violence Prevention in support of their objective to keep families safe.”
A 2018 policy statement from the American Public Health Association concluded that safe gun storage practices, such as using gun locks, were key strategies in reducing firearm suicides. Safe gun storage is also critical in preventing injury or death in children. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using gun locks and categorizes safe storage as the storing of guns and ammunition separately.
“Every single gun death is a preventable one, and I’m grateful to Master Lock for its commitment and partnership with the City to help Milwaukee families stay safe,” said Mayor Barrett. “For families who choose to have guns in the home, a lock can literally mean the difference between life and death.”
From 1999 to 2014, over 400 Wisconsin children were killed by guns, including 167 in Milwaukee County, according to Wisconsin-based Kids Forward. The American Academy of Pediatrics also notes the non-fatal impact of guns on children. Nationally, the ratio of children gun injuries to gun death is almost 6:1, which translates to thousands of young lives forever altered by gun use.
“Experts estimate about half of gun owners keep their firearms safely stored,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “With the support of Master Lock, and continued hard word by the Office of Violence Prevention, we will move that number closer to 100 percent in Milwaukee.”
Starting next week, Milwaukee residents seeking to obtain a gun lock can visit the following locations:
Office of Violence Prevention
Milwaukee Health Department
Frank P. Zeidler Municipal Building
841 N. Broadway, 3rd Floor
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Southside Health Center
1639 S. 23rd St.
Milwaukee, WI 53204
Keenan Health Center
3200 N. 36th St.
Milwaukee, WI 53216
Northwest Health Center
7630 W. Mill Rd.
Milwaukee, WI 53218
In addition, the Office of Violence Prevention will look to partner with barbershops and other locations where conversations about violence reduction and safety are taking place on lock distribution.
The City has locks available now from this year’s gun lock giveaway. These locks can be picked up at the City Health Department’s Office of Violence Prevention and the district offices of the Milwaukee Police Department.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
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