WEEKLY UPDATE: 10/03/24
On Wednesday, October 2, the Newtown Action Alliance Foundation and Ethan Miller Song Foundation, in collaboration with several Connecticut hospitals, held a press event outside the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford to promote the fourth annual #KeepKidsSafe Statewide Gun Buyback and Gun Safe Giveaway Day on Saturday, October 5.
Hospital leaders who spoke at the press conference recognized their shared commitment to enhancing community health and safety and expressed appreciation to local partners.
“As a trauma surgeon, as a person who’s an advocate at a hospital, and someone who’s worked strongly against gun-related injuries in the last 16 years of my career, the most important message here today is keep our kids and families safe,” said Dr. David Shapiro, chief medical officer at Trinity Health Of New England’s Saint Francis Hospital in Hartford.
“I see firsthand the impacts of gun violence on individuals, on families, and on our community,” said Hartford Hospital trauma surgeon Dr. Alfred Croteau, noting Hartford region trauma centers have collectively seen a decrease in the number of firearm-related injuries year over year for the past three years. “This progress is no accident. It is a result of deliberate hard work and community building.”
Kevin Borrup, executive director of the Injury Prevention Center at Connecticut Children’s, underscored the importance of proper firearm storage and highlighted the gun safe giveaways, remarking that 79 gun safes were distributed at last year’s event in Hartford. “My colleagues at Trinity Health, at Hartford HealthCare, and at Connecticut Children’s will ensure that if you need a safe after the event, we’ll make that available,” Borrup said.
Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz and representatives from the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) Office of Injury and Violence Prevention, Hartford Police Department, Mothers United Against Violence, and Connecticut Against Gun Violence also made remarks.
On Friday, September 27, the Norwalk and Stamford Police Departments also held a press conference to promote their local gun buybacks. “Every gun turned in means one less chance for a child to find an unsecured firearm or for a weapon to fall into the wrong hands,” Stamford Health Director of Safety and Security Joseph Hines said.
Events hosted through partnerships between public health, law enforcement, gun violence prevention, and community violence intervention groups will take place at police departments across the state. They will provide gift cards to individuals who turn in an operable firearm, and some will also have a limited supply of free pin code gun safes for individuals with pistol permits. DPH has donated an additional 600 gun safes and 1,500 cable locks for distribution this year.
The voluntary gun buyback and gun safe storage giveaway events are community safety initiatives intended to offer an opportunity for responsible gun owners to anonymously remove unwanted weapons safely from their homes and communities and elevate discussions around gun safety and safe firearm storage practices.
Newtown Action Alliance encourages communities to download, print, and distribute pre-made posters to raise awareness about their local gun buyback and gun safe giveaway. Posters are available here.
The Campaign to Keep Kids Safe (CKKS) was established in 2019 by the Newtown Action Alliance Foundation and the Ethan Miller Song Foundation as an educational program for parents, educators, and healthcare professionals to reduce unintentional shootings among children and childhood gun suicides and homicides in America; provide gun safes to gun owners; and promote community gun buyback opportunities.
Click here to watch the full press conference on CT-N.
Click here for more information on #KeepKidsSafe Statewide Gun Buyback and Gun Safe Giveaway Day.
Click here to view and download the #KeepKidsSafe posters.
