In honor of National Safety Month in June, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners will hold their annual gun safety press conference on Tuesday, June 19, at 1:30 p.m. in the Commissioners Auditorium at 1200 N. Telegraph Road in Pontiac.
The press conference seeks to raise awareness about the important role of responsible gun ownership in preventing gun violence and suicides and to publicize the Board’s annual gun safety lock giveaway. With the recent spate of school shootings nationwide, the Board is partnering with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, the Oakland County Health Division, and Oakland Schools to focus its efforts on school safety this year. Speakers will include Commissioners Janet Jackson and Tom J. Berman, who serve on the Board’s Study Group on Gun Violence, Oakland County Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard, and Leigh-Anne Stafford, health officer with the Oakland County Health Division.
“We are committed to the ongoing prevention of gun violence by promoting safe use, storage and accessibility of firearms. Ensuring gun owners enact safe storage practices will help reduce the risk for more of the tragic public and school shootings we are seeing nationally,” said Jackson. “I am a proud member of the Oakland County Study Group on Gun Violence and we are working in conjunction with the Sheriff’s Office, educators, hospitals and the Health Division to help end this plague. Our annual gun lock giveaway and new, upcoming school safety initiatives will actively provide resources and information to address this serious issue.”
“There are so many serious and complicated issues that we, as members of the Study Group, tackle,” said Berman. “Most importantly, we have been able to successfully promote smart, responsible and safe gun use and ownership through initiatives like this one. I am proud to serve with my colleagues in this capacity and we will continue our efforts to prevent future gun violence.”
“Violence can have lasting effects on the health of a community,” said Stafford. “It’s important that we do everything we can to prevent gun violence and promote the safety and well-being of everyone who lives, works, and plays in Oakland County.”
The gun lock giveaway is a program that promotes safe gun ownership by distributing free gun locks to the public via local police departments. The Board of Commissioners has partnered with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office and the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) on this public safety initiative for the past five years. NSSF supplies the locks at no cost to taxpayers. More than 30 local law enforcement agencies will be represented at the press conference and will participate in distributing the gun safety devices.
“We encourage citizens to use gun safety devices, whether it is a trigger lock, lock box, or gun safe,” said Sheriff Michael Bouchard. “Properly securing weapons is critical in helping to prevent accidental shootings, suicide, and theft.”
Beginning on June 1, members of the public can go to participating local law enforcement agencies (listed below) to obtain a free gun lock while supplies last.
Addison Township (OCSO Substation)
Auburn Hills Police Department
Berkley Police Department
Beverly Hills Department of Public Safety
Birmingham Police Department
Bloomfield Hills Police Department
Bloomfield Township Police Department
Brandon Township (OCSO Substation)
City of Pontiac (OCSO Substation)
City of Rochester Hills (OCSO Substation)
Clawson Police Department
Commerce Township (OCSO Substation)
Farmington Hills Police Department
Farmington Police Department
Ferndale Police Department
Franklin/Bingham Farms Police Department
Hazel Park Police Department
Highland Township (OCSO Substation)
Holly Village Police Department
Huntington Woods Police Department
Independence Township (OCSO Substation)
Keego Harbor Police Department
Lake Angelus Police Department
Lake Orion Village Police Department
Lathrup Village Police Department
Lyon Township (OCSO Substation)
Madison Heights Police Department
Northville Police Department
Novi Police Department
Oak Park Police Department
Oakland Township (OCSO Substation)
Oakland University Police Department
Orchard Lake Village Police Department
Orion Township (OCSO Substation)
Oxford Township (OCSO Substation)
Oxford Village Police Department
Pleasant Ridge Police Department
Rochester Police Department
Royal Oak Police Department
South Lyon Police Department
Southfield Police Department
Springfield Township (OCSO Substation)
Sylvan Lake Police Department
Troy Police Department
Waterford Police Department
West Bloomfield Township Police Department
White Lake Police Department
Wixom Police Department
Wolverine Lake Village Police Department
––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
http://www.legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available
