A Call For Innovative Gun-Safety Products

By Andrea Sears Contact Best Practices, Public News Service

April 28, 2021

NEW YORK - Civic, business and religious leaders joined with local elected officials and law enforcement Tuesday, calling for development of new products to prevent the unauthorized use of firearms.

While mass shootings dominate the headlines, the vast majority of gun deaths are suicides, accidental shootings and homicides, including police shootings. Hundreds of thousands of guns are stolen from homes and vehicles every year.

Joel Mosbacher, a senior rabbi of a New York City temple and national co-chair of the Do Not Stand Idly By campaign, said a big part of the problem is that fewer than half of American gun owners secure their weapons.

"We believe that safety technology, 'smart' gun locks and the like could dramatically affect the number of gun deaths we experience in this country every year," he said.

Elected officials and police chiefs from 28 jurisdictions in 10 states have formed the Gun Safety Consortium to use their purchasing power to encourage innovations in gun safety.

Law enforcement officers from 10 cities and counties around the country have been evaluating gun-security products. Police Chief Daryl Green of Lansing, Mich., notes that, like civilians, some police officers don't routinely secure their firearms at home.

"There are tragic stories within many of our police departments of a child finding their parent's duty service weapon and pulling the trigger," he said. "So, what's needed on the market is a variety of products that combine security with quick access by the gun owner."

The consortium hopes the testing and development of new gun-security technologies will send a message to manufacturers that there is a real demand for safety.

Mosbacher said 40% of gun purchases are by state and local governments and law enforcement.

"We are focused on law enforcement and the purchasing power that they have," he said, "but we know that there's a carry-on affect that will affect the other 60% of the marketplace, and that's civilian gun purchasers and gun owners."

More than 300 leaders of Do Not Stand Idly By logged onto the Gun Safety Consortium's virtual news conference Tuesday to pledge their support for the organization's work.

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