Free Gun Locks Aim To Cut Crime, Accidental Shootings: Bouchard

ROCHESTER, MI — Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard is doing what he can to curb unintentional shootings. Throughout June, his office will be giving free gun locks away and, in some instances, deputies will even bring them to residents’ homes.

Bouchard announced the program at a news conference Tuesday. The sheriff’s office, in conjunction with several other county organizations and the National Shooting Sports Foundation, is aiming to reduce crime and accidental shootings.

“Properly securing weapons is critical in helping to prevent accidental shootings, suicide, and theft,” Bouchard said in a news release. “We strongly encourage residents to pick up a free trigger lock from any of our twelve Substations, or call for delivery.”

(For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Rochester Patch, click here to find your local Michigan Patch. Also, follow us on Facebook, and if you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Delivery of free gun locks by deputies is only available in areas where the Sheriff’s Office patrols, and only if a patrol car is not on a call. Bouchard said residents should call the department’s non-emergency number, or stop by a participating substation.

In the Rochester area, the substation is located at 750 Barclay Circle in Rochester Hills. Residents can call (248) 537-3530 for more information.

Accidental shooting deaths are a significant problem, a joint Associated Press/USA Today Network study found. In 2015, at least 141 minors were killed in the U.S. by unintentional gun discharges. No numbers for 2016 are yet available.

Besides Rochester, gun locks can be be picked up at these Oakland County locations:

• Addison Twp. Substation – 1440 Rochester Rd., Leonard, (248) 628-2998
• Brandon Twp. Substation – 15 South St., Ortonville, (248) 627-4911
• Commerce Twp. Substation – 2401 Glengary, Commerce Twp., (248) 624-0715
• Highland Twp. Substation – 165 N. John St., Highland Twp., (248) 887-6240
• Independence Twp. Substation – 6560 Citation Drive, Clarkston, (248) 620-4970
• Lyon Twp. Substation – 58000 Grand River, New Hudson, (248) 437-5600
• Oakland Twp. Substation – 4391 Collins Road, Rochester, (248) 652-4617 Orion Township – 2525 Joslyn Rd.
• Lake Orion, (248) 393-0093
• Oxford Township – 310 Dunlap Rd., Oxford, (248) 969-3077
• Pontiac Substation – 110 E. Pike St., Pontiac, (248) 409-7100
• Springfield Twp. Substation – 9075 Big Lake Road, Clarkston, (248) 625-8531

For more on accidental shootings, go to USA Today Network.

photo by lifesizepotato via Flickr Commons