BATAVIA, IL — Local residents have access to free firearm safety kits thanks to a partnership between the Batavia Police Department and Protect ChildSafe, officials said.
The safety kits, which include gun locks, were made available for pickup Dec. 2 at the front desk of police headquarters, 100 N. Island Ave.
“We encourage residents to pick up a Project ChildSafe safety kit so that they can securely store their firearm,” Chief Shawn Mazza said in a statement. “Each kit contains a safety curriculum and a cable-style gun lock. The locks fit on most types of handguns, rifles and shotguns. The goal is to prevent a child or any other unauthorized person from accessing a firearm in your home.”
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By partnering with Protect ChildSafe, a nationwide firearms safety education program, police are participating in a national effort to promote firearm safety to all gun owners, officials said. The program distributes safety kits to all 50 states and the U.S.’s five territories.
About 1.4 million homes have firearms stored in a way that makes them most accessible to some 2.6 million children, according to statistics provided by the Batavia Police Department.
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Batavia police encourage families to talk to their children about what to do if they find a gun: stop, don’t touch, get away and tell an adult.
“We are pleased to have the Batavia Police Department as a Project ChildSafe partner,” Bill Brassard Jr., director of Project ChildSafe, said in a statement.
“Project ChildSafe is an important step forward in helping ensure that all firearm owners fully understand their responsibilities with respect to the safe handling and storage of firearms.”
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