Swampscott PD offers free gun locks

SWAMPSCOTT – Firearms falling into the hands of children are a huge concern for law enforcement officials even in small communities like Swampscott.Police Chief Ronald Madigan said it’s a public safety issue and he urges individuals who possess guns to secure them.”Our goal as police officers is to prevent guns from falling into the hands of kids,” he said. “We have gunlocks available that we will provide free of charge – no questions asked – to anyone who wants one.”According to Madigan, the laws regarding firearms have changed, but not all gun owners are up on the latest guidelines.Madigan said fines could be as high as $10,000 for leaving some types of firearms unsecured and the charge could carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years.”We don’t want to see anyone jammed up for not storing it properly,” he said. “Many people don’t realize if they have an unsecured gun in their bedside table and a visitor to the home accesses it, the homeowner could be charged. It happened before during a party.”According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, firearms (accidental, suicide and homicide) claim the lives of some 4,000 children under age 20 each year and Madigan said some of those lives could have been saved by gunlocks.”Obviously the safest thing is not to have a gun in the home,” he said. “But if people own guns they need to be kept in a gun safe or equipped with a gun lock.”Madigan said anyone who would like a free gunlock should go to the front desk of the police station and request one.