Eight kids are unintentionally hurt or killed by a gun left unlocked and loaded everyday, according to the latest gun safety campaign from the Ad Council.
Now, a Tucson Council Member is doing something to help change that.
If you have a gun in your home, Ward 6 Council Member Steve Kozachik is making it really easy for you to secure it by giving away free gun locks.
Kozachik says the idea came from an incident that happened almost ten years ago. A woman who was dating a police officer from a local agency died by suicide with his unsecured gun.
Now, Kozachik wants anyone who owns a gun, law enforcement or not, to make sure it stays out of the wrong hands.
"I hope that we send a message to the community that in the same way you lock your medications away, and the same way that you're responsible with locking gates around your swimming pool, that if you have a weapon in your home, it's secured so that kids can't get to them and people that are in a vulnerable state of mind can't get to them either," Kozachik said.
Do you have a gun in your home? Is it secured? If not, a Tucson council member is making it really easy and FREE to lock it up. I have details next on Good Morning Tucson @kgun9 pic.twitter.com/yix903ybYd
— Natalie Tarangioli (@ntarangioli) September 4, 2018
Just last month, a new policy has been implemented for Tucson Police Officers for their guns to be secured while off duty, either with a gun lock, chamber lock or in a safe.
The new policy reads, "Members shall ensure that all firearms and ammunition are locked or safely secured while in their homes, vehicles, or any other area under their control in a manner that will keep the firearms inaccessible to others who should not be allowed to access them. Firearms shall not be left in a vehicle during a member's scheduled time off for more than 10 consecutive hours. Additionally members shall not permit department-issued firearms to be handled by anyone not duly authorized by the agency to do so."
The policy also states, "negligent storage of a firearm could result in criminal and civil liability."
Kozachik hopes Tucson Police will lead by example for other agencies.
There are hundreds of free gun locks available at the Ward 6 office at 3202 E 1st Street and at the County Attorney's Office at 32 N Stone Avenue.
