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Virginia Firearm Safe Storage Project

The Virginia Firearm Safe Storage Project is modeled after the Washington State LOK-IT-UP campaign. This project focuses on family and community safety and is not intended as a policy or crime prevention program, nor does it address the issue of gun control or a private citizen's right to bear arms. The program works to:

• Distribute cable gunlocks (over 20,000 gunlocks have been distributed during 2003 and 2004)
  
• Educate parents and the community on what they can do
  
  • Educate themselves on firearm safety
    
  • Safely store weapons
    
  • Ask about guns where children play
    
  • Educate children
    

Gunlock/Safe Storage Project Participants 2004

• Virginia Farm Bureau Safety
  
• Faquier County Sheriff's Office
  
• For the Children Partners in Prevention, Inc. (Martinsville, VA)
  
• Rappahannock Area Health District, Medical Reserve Corps
  
• Harrisonburg Police Department
  
• Sheriff's Office, County of Culpepper
  
• Center for Pediatric Research, Consortium for Infant & Child Health and the Portsmouth Police Community Services Unit
  
• Mountain Empire Regional Crime Prevention Association, Inc.
  
• Sheriff's Office, City of Bristol
  
• Smyth County Sheriff's Office
  
• Town of Lebanon Police Department
  
• Lenowisco Health District
  

Gunlock/Safe Storage Project Participants 2003

• Lynchburg Safe Kids/Safe Kids of Central Virginia
  
• Caroline County Sheriff's Office
  
• WUPV/UPN Richmond

This program is a partnership at the state level between the Virginia Department of Health and the Virginia State Police.