Cape Coral Police have ordered another supply of gun locks as nearly all of the initial 500 locks acquired through “Project ChildSafe” have been distributed in the first three days of availability.
The department announced the free gun locks late Friday, Jan. 9, and as of today, more than 400 locks have been handed out to the public.

“Because of the tremendous response from the community, we have ordered another supply of 500 gun locks and will make them available as soon as they arrive,” said Police Chief Rob Petrovich, in a prepared statement. “There obviously was a critical need in our community for these safety devices.”

The Cape Coral Police Department acquired the locks to promote better gun safety for our residents who keep firearms in their homes. Project ChildSafe is a component of “Project Safe Neighborhoods,” which is a Bush administration initiative to prevent gun violence. The program is supported by the firearms industry, U.S. Department of Justice and the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

A steady stream of citizens stopped by the police lobby during the past three days requesting the free gun locks for their firearms. The requests from residents exceeded expectations and prompted Officer Gerald Moll to order another 500 locks. The new order of gun locks probably will not arrive for a few weeks. In the meantime, there are other steps that owners of firearms can take to secure their guns.

“Placing a lock on your handgun, rifle, shotgun or any firearm is one step that can potentially save a life,” added Petrovich. “However, proper gun safety includes other actions that can help protect an innocent person from harm.”

Additional steps to proper gun safety include:

1. Treat all firearms as if they were loaded.
2. Know your firearm and its safety features.
3. Unload, clean and secure your firearm after each use.
4. Use gun locks, firearm case and/or a firearm safe to safely store your firearm.
5. Keep ammunition and firearm stored at different locations.
6. Dismantle firearms that cannot be secured properly, and store parts at different locations.
7. Take a firearms safety course.
8. Contact your local police department for proper destruction of unwanted firearms.
9. Document model and serial numbers of all firearms.
10. Report all lost or stolen firearms to your local police department.

Source: Cape Coral Police Department