Contact: Sgt. Paul Pell
Phone: (336) 373-7945

Greensboro Police Department to Offer Free Gun Locks

GREENSBORO, NC – (July 10, 2008) – The Greensboro Police Department will be offering free gun locks during an upcoming event at the Greensboro location of Gander Mountain.

Gun locks, which are designed to prevent the gun from being fired, are one of several safety measures recommended by firearms experts.

Members of the Community Resource Team will be on hand during the 2008 Big Buck Expo on July 26-27 at Gander Mountain, 2223 Vanstory Street, to give away gun locks in an effort to encourage firearm safety.

“Any time you hear about an accidental shooting, whether it’s involving a child or an adult, you know it could have been prevented with proper firearm safety,” said Sgt. Paul Pell of the Greensboro Police Department. “One of the easiest things a gun owner can do to protect themselves, their children, their friends and their loved ones, is to use gun locks whenever that firearm is not in use.”
The gun locks are provided by Project ChildSafe, the nation’s largest firearm safety education program. A primary component of the program is providing free gun locks to help ensure the safety of children who come into contact with guns.

“The type of lock that is provided by Project ChildSafe is one of the best locks I’ve seen,” Pell said. “This is a keyed, cable type lock that meets the California Department of Justice safety standards. Another good thing about these locks is that they are not similarly keyed, which means that my key won’t fit anyone else’s gun lock.”

Pell encourages gun owners to follow other safety guidelines, as well, such as keeping guns locked in a storage cabinet, ensuring that guns are unloaded when not in use, and storing ammunition in an area away from the guns.

“The bottom line is, we want to make sure that a child who comes into contact with a firearm doesn’t end up as a tragic statistic,” Pell said.

Officers will be available at the Gander Mountain event on July 26 and 27 from 12-4 pm.  The supply of gun locks is limited. For more information about gun locks, visit www.greensboro-nc.gov/police and search for gun safety or visit www.projectchildsafe.org.

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The City of Greensboro works in partnership with the community to build an increased quality of life for all residents by fostering an environment where inclusion, diversity, and trust are valued. As the seventh largest employer in Greensboro, the City has a dedicated professional staff of 2700 employees who maintain four core values of honesty, integrity, stewardship, and respect. The City of Greensboro is governed by a council-manager form of government where a mayor and eight council members act as the legislative body. For more information on the City of Greensboro, please visit us online at www.greensboro-nc.gov.