The Gist: In the pursuit of responsible gun ownership, the Marietta Police Department is urging families to invest in gun safes or lockable secure cases. The initiative also emphasizes educating children on gun safety, going beyond merely hiding firearms.
By The Numbers:
- About 4.6 million American children live in homes with unlocked firearms.
- Over 75% of kids know where firearms are stored in their homes.
- In Georgia, 38% of adults own at least one gun.
Why It Matters: Children, being naturally curious, often locate items thought to be well-hidden by adults. Leaving guns unlocked or poorly secured can lead to tragic accidents. Police are reminding gun owners that it’s their responsibility to ensure that firearms don’t fall into the wrong hands—especially those of children.
How to Educate Kids:
- Teach them never to touch a gun, whether it’s in their own home or someone else’s.
- When your kids go on play dates, check with the other parents about the presence of guns in their homes and their storage conditions.
- Educate your children on the steps to take if they encounter a gun:
- Stop what they’re doing.
- Don’t touch the gun.
- Leave the area.
- Inform an adult immediately.
Media Influence: Parents are also being encouraged to remind children that guns depicted on TV, movies, or games are not real. The real ones should be handled cautiously and only by adults.
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