Rochester Police Department handing out free gun safety kits

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – The Rochester Police Department is launching new efforts to promote responsible gun ownership by handing out free gun safety kits.

The kits are available for free and made possible by a partnership between RPD and the organization Project Child Safe.

The kit includes a cable-style lock that goes through the barrel of the gun, making it unusable. The kit also includes a safety brochure that contains more information on how to safely store guns.

“Here at the Rochester Police Department, we’ve put an increased priority on disrupting gun violence in our community,” RPD Lt. Ryan Manguson said. “While we’re doing that, we also want to promote safe gun ownership as well. So having gun locks available for our community to safely store fire arms is a priority as well.”

Project Child Safe partners with 15,000 law enforcement agencies across the country.

It’s reportedly given away more than 38 million gun locks within the last 20 years.

According to The Firearm Industry Trade Association, other safety tips for handling firearms includes treating every firearm as if it’s loaded, keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, keeping fingers off the trigger and keeping the firearm unloaded when not in use.

People can pick up their kits at the North Rochester Police Department of West River Parkway North, in the records department of the Olmsted County Government Center and at the final Safe City Nights on Aug. 23 at Watson Soccer Fields in Rochester.

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