BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont authorities are reminding Vermonters to secure their guns responsibly. It comes as federal officials say stolen guns have become a common link in many investigations and that the homicide rate remains stubbornly high.
“Keep your gun safe, keep your people safe” — that’s the message from various local, state, and federal law enforcement.
“Securing gun locks creates these barriers between the gun and either the crime or the tragic event,” said U.S. Attorney for Vermont Nikolas Kerest.
The message follows up on statewide efforts started last year for Vermonters to better secure firearms in their homes. Since then, officials say they handed out more than 4,000 free cable locks. The safe storage of firearms is also included in a new state law.
Officials say locking up guns could make a difference in crime, including in domestic violence cases, where firearms make up around half of domestic violence homicides. “Safe gun storage is proven to save lives and is one of the best tools we have to counter domestic violence,”
Suicide rates could drop, too. Officials say Vermont has a higher suicide rate than the nation’s average because of the accessibility of firearms. “We can’t prevent our loved ones from ever experiencing a crisis, but we can prevent them from dying during one,” said Dr. Rebecca Bell, a pediatric critical care doctor at UVM’s Children’s Hospital.
Howard Center officials say education is pivotal and it’s starting to make a difference. Their crisis team hears that people are securing their firearms.