Gun dealers, cops join forces in safe gun storage campaign

Bothell Police Chief Carol Cummings will never forget the day, early in her 30-year career, when she responded to the accidental death of a boy, shot by his friend with a rifle found in the home. Bothell is among 20 law enforcement agencies in King County joining a new campaign to encourage the safe storage of firearms.

“We in law enforcement strongly support voluntary storage of firearms,” said King County Sheriff John Urquhart at a Seattle news conference Monday. “It’s time for lockboxes and gun safes to be as normal as wearing a seat belt.”

Urquhart said that statistics from the Washington State Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs show that last year, more than $4.5 million worth of firearms were reported stolen in Washington state. Law enforcement plans to promote locking devices to people applying for concealed weapons permits or when officers and deputies appear at community events.

As part of the campaign, select retailers will offer 10-to-15 percent discounts on gun storage devices. Participating dealers include Costco and Sports Authority as well as Outdoor Emporium, Sportco, and FARWEST Sports.

“Gun retailers should be talking to gun customers about safe storage of their product, just as a car dealer might talk about the safety features of an automobile,” said county executive Dow Constaine. “This can become the new norm.”

Data collected by the Seattle-King County Health Department shows that between 1999 and 2012, 68 children have died from gun violence, including 25 suicides.

A survey found that of the households in King County with a gun, about 17 percent stored them loaded and unlocked, an estimated 31,000 firearms.