Every year in the U.S. nearly 350 children under the age of 17 gain access to a gun and unintentionally kill or injure themselves or someone else. Children are naturally curious and love to explore and look in hiding places. With the pandemic disrupting school schedules and causing boredom and isolation for kids, they may be at an increased risk of finding unsecured firearms in their homes.
California is one of several states that requires every gun owner to safely store their firearms, and the owner is criminally liable if they store a loaded gun where a child is likely to gain access to it.
All firearms in the home should be unloaded and locked, with ammunition stored and locked up separately. Make sure children and teens cannot access the keys or combination to lock boxes or gun safes. And please do not keep loaded, unlocked guns in your vehicle.
In partnership with Project ChildSafe, we offer free gun safety kits so you can securely store your firearm. Project ChildSafe, is a program developed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), and has distributed millions of firearm safety kits throughout the country. The program is funded by a U.S. Department of Justice grant, with additional funding provided by the firearms industry.
Each kit contains safety information and a cable-style gun lock. The lock fits most types of handguns, rifles, and shotguns. The goal is to prevent a child or other unauthorized person from accessing a firearm in your home. The gun locks are available at both of our stations. 250 Doherty Drive in Larkspur or 525 San Anselmo Avenue in San Anselmo.
If you have a firearm that you want to surrender, or ammunition to dispose of, please call us at 415-927-5150 and we will arrange for an officer to pick up the weapon and/or ammunition.