Chief’s Column: Free gun locks at Grafton Police

QUESTION: I am an avid hunter and have several firearms in my home. I heard that there was a program called Project ChildSafe that gives free gun locks to people who own firearms. I also understand that the Grafton Police Department is a participant. What can you tell me about this program?

ANSWER: Project ChildSafe is a nationwide program whose purpose is to promote safe firearms handling and storage practices among all firearms owners through the distribution of key safety education messages and free gun locking devices (firearms safety kits). The program is sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation and supported by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) grants. The Grafton Police Department also participates in the program.

Firearm accidents in the home can result from an unauthorized individual, often a child, finding a loaded and unsecured firearm in the home. The risk of firearms-related unintentional injuries or deaths can be reduced when firearm owners are aware of and fully understand their responsibility to handle firearms safely and store them in a secure manner. The goal of Project ChildSafe is to inform and educate all firearm owners on key safety issues and to provide firearm safety kits that include a gun-locking device.

The gun-locking device distributed in the Project ChildSafe program is an armored steel cable with one end permanently secured to a keyed padlock. When the lock is properly installed, the firearm is unloaded and the lock prevents the firearm’s action from closing. This cable-style gun lock meets the requirement of American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM F 2369) approved safety device. The cable-style lock supplied in this Project ChildSafe safety kit should be used in addition to, and not as a substitute for, safe firearms handling and storage methods. It is the responsibility of the firearms owner to know how to safely handle and securely store all firearms.

The Grafton Police Department has a supply of gunlocks provided by Project ChildSafe. Anyone wishing to obtain a free gunlock may come to the Grafton Police Headquarters to pick up a kit. We would also be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding gun safety.

Anyone with questions for the Chief’s Column may submit them by mail to the Grafton Police Department, 28 Providence Road, Grafton, MA 01519. You may also email your questions or comments to chief@graftonpolice.com. Please include an appropriate subject line, as I do not open suspicious email for obvious reasons.

Normand A. Crepeau, Jr., Chief of Police