[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 161 (Thursday, December 15, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S13650]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 FREE GUN LOCKS FROM PROJECT CHILDSAFE

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, tragedies involving children and guns 
continue to repeat themselves with alarming frequency around the 
country. According to local police, at least five Detroit children have 
been accidentally shot and killed this year alone. Just last week a 
three year old boy in Detroit nearly lost his life when he accidentally 
shot himself in the chest with his father's gun.
  Following that shooting, Detroit police spokesman James Tate said, 
``It appears this could have been prevented if a gun lock was on and 
the gun was secured. It's unfortunate that we end up responding to 
these types of scenes when there are free gun locks readily available 
around the city.''
  One source of free gun locks is Project ChildSafe, the Nation's 
largest firearm safety education program. This program has provided 
more than 35 million ``firearm safety kits'' to gun owners around the 
country, including more than 517,500 in Michigan this year. Each 
firearm safety kit includes a free gun lock and materials to educate 
firearms owners about safe gun storage practices.
  Free gun locks from Project ChildSafe are available year round 
through many local police departments. According to Project ChildSafe, 
if a local law enforcement agency does not have safety kits available 
for residents who request them, that agency may contact their 
governor's office to receive a supply. In addition, Project ChildSafe 
representatives attend a number of major public events including State 
fairs, sportsmen's festivals, and community safety days to distribute 
firearm safety kits. More information on safe gun storage practices and 
how to acquire a free gun lock can be found on the Project ChildSafe 
website at www.projectchildsafe.org.
 The Project ChildSafe website also includes information concerning a 
number of safe gun storage practices to reduce the risk of 
unintentional shooting. In addition to using a gun lock, Project 
ChildSafe suggests locking up ammunition in a location separate from 
the firearm. Statistics show this additional precaution can have a 
dramatic impact on the risk of unintentional shooting. A study 
published earlier this year in the Journal of the American Medical 
Association found that the risk of unintentional shooting or suicide by 
minors using a gun is reduced by as much as 61 percent when ammunition 
in the home is locked up. Simply storing ammunition separately from the 
gun reduces such occurrences by more than 50 percent.
  Common sense alone tells us that safe firearms storage practices, 
including the use of gun locks, reduces the risk of accidental 
shootings. I hope that firearms owners in Michigan and around the 
country join those who have already chosen to take advantage of the 
free gun locks and educational materials provided by Project ChildSafe 
so that fewer children are killed and seriously injured in accidental 
shootings.

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