Starting April 13, Anne Arundel County Public Libraries, working in partnership with the Department of Health, will offer free gun safety locks to area adults. The first-of-its-kind partnership in Maryland aims to save lives.
In 2022, there were 16 gun-related homicides and 17 gun-related suicides in the county. A gun safety lock can provide critical life-saving moments between impulse and action. Securing firearms protects children and adults by preventing unintentional shootings and gun suicides.
"We address gun violence through a public health lens. Our goal is to work with the community to make sure that firearms are kept as safe as they can in family situations and in homes," said Dr. Tonii Gedin, Acting Health Officer for Anne Arundel County. "Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States. This is about prevention."
As part of the pilot program, adults 18 years and older can receive up to two gun safety locks at the Busch Annapolis, Eastport-Annapolis Neck and Glen Burnie libraries. No library card is needed to participate, and no proof of residency is required.
The library has a long history of working with the Anne Arundel County Department of Health to distribute masks, test kits, vaccines and more. This initiative is a natural extension of this partnership. Only a handful of libraries around the country offer similar programs.
“I want to thank the Department of Health and the library system for continuing to find innovative ways to meet the needs of our communities,” said County Executive Steuart Pittman.
Visit the Anne Arundel County Department of Health's Gun Violence Intervention page to access resource toolkits, view gun violence data and learn more about this initiative.
Published April 14, 2023