Vernon Police Offering Free Gun Locks

VERNON, CT — Vernon police are offering free gun locks to residents with licensed firearms.

It is part of a collaboration with Project ChildSafe, which has provided free gun locks along with educational materials on "responsible firearm storage," police said.

"Stop by the Vernon Police Department to pick up a gun lock at no cost," police said.

Project ChildSafe bills itself ais the "largest and most comprehensive firearm safety education program in the US."

The organization was created in 1999, and is the official firearm safety program of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the firearm industry. The goal of the organization is "to provide a real firearm safety solution for every community."

Project ChildSafe offers free educational resources to "demonstrate the importance of firearm safety and to encourage the promotion and the practice of responsible firearm ownership."

Project ChildSafe has also worked with thousands of law enforcement agencies across the nation and in the five U.S. territories to provide free firearm safety kits, which include a cable-style gun lock.

"To date more than 40 million of these locks have been distributed, in addition to the more than 70 million free gun locks manufacturers have distributed with their products over the past 25 years," organization officials said.