BLYTHEVILLE — Preferring prevention to having officers respond to a child-shooting call, Police Chief Jesse King began passing out free trigger locks to gun owners Tuesday.
Using $800 donated by businesses and an individual, King bought 120 locks from a Scottsdale, Ariz., company that sells the department its weapons.
King cited several accidental shootings involving children in Memphis and surrounding towns as one reason for his initiative.
"It hurts my heart every time I see that," King said. "I wanted to prevent having to go to a scene where a young child was hurt or killed."
The chief's action earned the support of some state lawmakers and attorneys, who say it is the first time they've heard of an Arkansas police department offering the devices to the public.
The move drew criticism from gun advocates, who claim that trigger locks make people lax about safety when storing their weapons.
King said Tuesday that he expects it to be a few days before people begin requesting the locks. He gave the first one to Mayor Barrett Harrison.
"I am a gun owner, and I have three children in my home," Harrison told The Associated Press. "I want to do everything in my power to protect my children."
Tracy Gonzalez, a spokesman for the National Rifle Association in Fairfax, Va., said gun owners shouldn't rely solely on trigger-locking devices for safety.
"Locks are not a substitute for safety," Gonzalez said. "They give a false sense of security. We're not opposed to the police chief doing this, but there are different things that need addressing."
She said the NRA promotes safety education programs, including the NRA's Eddie Eagle gun-safety program aimed at elementary school children.
Weapons with the locks can be stolen, and some locks can easily be pried off with a screwdriver, she said. And some universal trigger locks that manufacturers claim can fit any weapon can actually be used to discharge a weapon if the lock doesn't fit properly. Many trigger-locking device manufacturers require the device to be used only on unloaded weapons.
"It's just not a substitute for basic education," she said.
Trigger locks range from $7 to $90. The devices fit over the trigger guard, preventing access to the trigger. They can be opened either with a combination or a key.
King said he got the idea to pass out the locks after Blytheville police Lt. Rick Ash suggested giving trigger locks to police officers. Ash said the locks would promote gun safety in the officers' homes.
King, Ash and Capt. Stan Simpkins then decided to include the public and bought the 120 locks from Concept Development Corp. in Scottsdale, Ariz.
"I didn't want to wait until an accident happened," King said. "This is a proactive approach. I hope we give them all away." People receiving the locks will be required to sign a waiver releasing the city from any liability. The people won't have to provide any identifying information about their firearm.
Dustin McDaniel, a Jonesboro attorney representing the families of five people killed in the March 1998 Westside Middle School shooting, said he was glad King was giving away the locks.
McDaniel has filed a civil lawsuit against Mitchell Johnson and Andrew Golden, the two schoolyard shooters; their parents; and Andrew's grandfather, Doug Golden. The lawsuit also names two gun companies that made the weapons used in the shooting, alleging that the companies were negligent because they didn't provide trigger-locking devices.
King said the Westside Middle School shooting came to mind when he developed his plan to give away trigger locks.
"We are very pleased this lawsuit raised the bar of discussion for this issue," McDaniel said. "We would applaud the chief's efforts."
However, John Wallis of North Little Rock, president of the Arkansas Rifle and Pistol Association, said he was afraid that trigger-locking devices will make weapons owners careless.
"They don't make guns more safe," Wallis said. "It's a quick, easy solution. People think guns are safe with trigger locks. But you can load a weapon with a trigger lock, and you can get to the trigger -- then 'boom.'
"If I was donated $800, I'd put it to the Eddie Eagle program," he said. The program, developed in 1988, is offered to children from kindergarten through sixth grade. According to the NRA, more than 12 million children in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico have participated in the program.
The NRA claims that shootings involving children dropped 13 percent from 1991-92 as a result of the program.
According to the Safe Kids Coalition, accidental shootings of children have declined nearly 50 percent from 1987-96. The coalition said 140 children under age 14 died in 1996 as a result of unintentional firearm-related injuries.
An additional 1,500 were treated at hospitals for gunshot wounds in 1996. The coalition, based in Washington, D.C., focuses on safety issues involving children, including firearms, seat beats, car seats and accidents in the home.
State Rep. Lisa Ferrell, D-Little Rock, said 16 states have laws that make gun owners responsible for their weapons. The responsibilities include trigger locks, she said.
Ferrell, along with 33 other legislators sponsored a bill that would make Arkansas gun owners responsible for their weapons. Despite a December poll that showed overwhelming public support for requiring gun owners to make guns inaccessible to children, the measure was defeated.
"Gun owners need to be responsible for their guns," she said.
A similar federal measure also failed in the U.S. House of Representatives in June 1999 after it received Senate approval in May.
King said he will seek additional donations to buy more trigger locks if the 120 he has are given out quickly.
One Arkansas gun dealer reported Tuesday that the sale of trigger locks and gun safes is on the rise.
"Theft is unbelievable. Most guns used in crimes are stolen. A lot of people are asking for [safety devices]," said Louis Janski, manager of Fort Thompson Sporting Goods in North Little Rock. He said many manufacturers routinely provide trigger locks with new guns.
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