LEADERS IN GALVESTON CITY GOVERNMENT, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND HUNTER EDUCATION JOIN NSSF TO LAUNCH 'PROJECT CHILDSAFE GALVESTON'

Community-led effort focuses on promoting secure firearm storage, including free gun lock distribution, to help prevent firearm-related accidents, thefts and misuse, including suicide 

GALVESTON, Texas , July 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- NSSF^®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, and Galveston Mayor Craig Brown, along with City Councilmembers Marie Robb and Sharon Lewis, Galveston Police Chief Doug Balli, representatives from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Galveston Parks and Recreation and the local hunting and shooting sports community gathered today to launch a citywide firearm safety initiative, "Project ChildSafe Galveston."

The press conference was followed by two gun lock distribution events where Galveston residents could pick up free Project ChildSafe^® gun locks and safety kits at local community centers, no questions asked.

"Educating gun owners on secure storage does more than prevent tragic accidents," Mayor Brown said. "It helps prevent firearms from being stolen and used in crimes, and as result, it makes our whole community safer."

NSSF is providing thousands of firearm safety kits that include a gun lock and safety brochure to local organizations and Galveston residents through its Project ChildSafe initiative, which focuses on helping prevent firearm accidents, thefts and misuse, and emphasizes the importance of secure firearm storage to suicide prevention efforts. Other local partners include:

• Texas Senator Mayes Middleton
• La Marque Police Department,
• Chris Allen, Founder of Hoodneck
• Galveston Gals Firearms Training
• A Girl and A Gun
• 4-H
• The Texas Gun Club
• U.S. Concealed Carry Association
• Heidi Rao, a local hunter education specialist.

"We're doing this because we know secure gun storage works ? firearms accidents are preventable," said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF's President and CEO. "Fatal firearm accidents are at historic lows, and that's a trend we want to see continue in the right direction. That starts with a community-shared responsibility and emphasis on firearm safety. We're grateful to Mayor Brown along with Galveston's city leaders and all our local partners for taking on this initiative."

Project ChildSafe gun locks and safety literature are being provided through a grant to NSSF from the office of Gov. Greg Abbott and additional support from the firearm industry. In addition to the free gun locks, NSSF will support the initiative by providing law enforcement agencies and other partners with free resources on gun safety in the home and in vehicles, an overview of safe storage options such as lock boxes and safes, tips for safe handling of firearms, hunting safety and other topics.  These efforts will be complemented by billboards and social media ads urging residents to be responsible gun owners and directing them to local partners, including the Galveston PD, for resources.

"The vast majority of gun crimes involve stolen firearms, so by properly securing firearms you're not only protecting yourself and your family, you're protecting your neighbors and making our community safer," said Galveston Police Chief Doug Balli.   

The PD will have free locks available upon request, and free locks will also be available at the McGuire-Dent Recreation Center at 2222 28^th Street and the Wright Cuney Recreation Center at 718 41^st Street, while supplies last.

For more information on NSSF's Project ChildSafe program and gun safety, please visit projectchildsafe.org

About Project ChildSafe: NSSF, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, launched Project ChildSafe in 1999 (originally as Project HomeSafe). Since 1999, the program has provided more than 40 million free firearm safety kits and gun locks to firearm owners in all 50 states through partnerships with thousands of law enforcement agencies across the country. That's in addition to the more than 70 million free locking devices manufacturers have included, and continue to include, with new firearms sold since 1998. While helping to prevent accidents among children is a focus, Project ChildSafe is intended to help adults practice greater firearm safety in the home. More information is available at projectchildsafe.org.

About NSSF: The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of thousands of manufacturers, distributors, firearm retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen's organizations and publishers nationwide. For more information, visit nssf.org.

SOURCE National Shooting Sports Foundation