Duncan, Curry Propose Local Gun Safety Legislation

mh/gun.pr 97-40 Contact: David Weaver, 301-217-6530 or
Reggie Parks, 301-952-4136
DUNCAN, CURRY PROPOSE
LOCAL GUN SAFETY
LEGISLATION For Immediate Release: February 18, 1997

Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan and Prince George's County
Executive Wayne Curry today announced that they would seek local legislation in both
counties that would require gun dealers to provide child safety locks with every handgun sold.
The intent of the legislation is to prevent the unintentional discharge and unauthorized
use of handguns by children. According to the National Safe Kids Campaign, unintentional
shootings account for more than 20 percent of all firearm-related fatalities among children
ages 14 and younger. In that same age group, an estimated 1,500 children nationwide are
treated in hospital emergency rooms for unintentional firearm injuries, with more than 70
percent involving handguns. In 1992, the Maryland General Assembly passed a law requiring
gun owners to keep their guns out of the reach of children. That law, however, does not
mandate the sale of child safety locks.
"Surely, if we are going to require child safety seats in cars, we should require child
safety locks for handguns," said Duncan. "This legislation is one small, inexpensive way to
protect our children from accidental death or injury, and if we can save just one life with its
passage, then our efforts will have been worthwhile."
If enacted by the County Councils of Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, the
-more-

CHILD SAFETY LOCK LEGISLATION 2-2-2-2

two jurisdictions would be among the first in the nation to require child safety locks on
handguns at the point of sale. In his recent State of the Union address, President Bill Clinton
indicated that he would seek federal legislation requiring child safety locks on all firearms
sold nationwide.
"I am proud that Prince George's and Montgomery Counties are in the forefront of
heeding the President's call and addressing this very serious problem of child firearm
accidents," said Curry.
Duncan and Curry were joined in the announcement by Maryland Attorney General J.
Joseph Curran, Jr., Montgomery County Councilmembers Derick Berlage and Isiah Leggett,
Prince George's County Councilmembers, Montgomery County State's Attorney Robert Dean,
Montgomery County Sheriff Raymond Kight, Prince George's County Police Chief John
Farrell, Montgomery County Police Chief Carol Mehrling. Also participating in the press
conference were Sarah Brady, chair of Handgun Control, Inc. and Nancy Fenton, executive
director of Marylanders Against Handgun Abuse.
"I commend County Executives Duncan and Curry and Attorney General Curran for
taking a stand to protect Maryland's children from senseless gun injuries and deaths," said
Sarah Brady, chair of the nation's largest gun control lobbying organization, Handgun Control,
Inc. "All Americans, especially parents, must work to ensure that children do not have access
to handguns. This proposed legislation will help parents by requiring gun dealers to provide

(more)
CHILD SAFETY LOCK LEGISLATION 3-3-3-3

them with a child safety lock to help keep their gun safe from children. A trigger lock costs
just $10.95. A small price to pay for possibly saving a child's life."
Child safety locks, which cost less than $12 each, are specially designed safety devices
with a key-operated locking mechanism that completely surrounds the trigger area. When
locked, there is no access to the trigger and the gun cannot be fired.
"This is about protecting children," said Maryland Attorney General J. Joseph Curran.
"If we don't take every step possible to prevent a tragic accident from occurring, we aren't
doing our job. While parents must take every precaution to keep handguns out of their
children's reach, requiring handguns to be sold with trigger locks reinforces that message, and
decreases the likelihood that a parent's mistake will result in tragedy."
Montgomery County (120) and Prince George's County (74) have a total of 194
federal licensed dealers. According to Maryland State Police records, 4,587 handguns were
purchased in Montgomery County from October 1, 1995 to October 31, 1996; and 3,231 in
Prince George's County during that same time period.
# # #

Return to Montgomery County Press Releases Page.