The Upper Keys League of Women Voters have gun safety in mind with a new program to provide free gun locks to the community. Hundreds of gun locks have been distributed around the Upper Keys.
While a federal law passed in 2005 requires licensed sellers to include locks or locked storage devices with handgun sales, more than half of gun owners do not secure their weapons. Florida law states anyone who stores a loaded firearm and knows someone younger than 16 is likely to gain access to it without adult supervision must secure it with a lock or in a locked container.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, firearm-related injuries were the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in 2020 and 2021. This effort, and a similar program provided by the League of Women Voters in the Lower Keys, aims to prevent accidental deaths.
“Child deaths and teen and adult suicides are real possibilities when there is a gun in a home,” said Barbara Overton, president of the Upper Keys League of Women Voters. “We are distributing gun locks to keep Keys families safer. The intention is to make the gun locks available at locations our local residents and families frequent.”
“I want to thank the Upper Keys League of Women Voters for this gun safety initiative,” said Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay. “Gun locks are a critical part of gun safety in our homes.”
The gun locks are acquired from the Veterans Affairs office. Containers can be obtained at the Key Largo library, American Legion Key Largo, KLI Shell Lumber, Mack’s Gym, Key Largo Civic Club, Pilot House Marina, VFW Key Largo, Islamorada library and Moose Club Islamorada.
The Upper Keys League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization focused on voter education and services from Marathon to Ocean Reef and hosts several events and meetings which feature guest speakers, civics literacy topics, candidate forums and social events.
