Lindsey Warren of Be SMART talked to our district in December '21 about Be SMART and what it means. She was scheduled on the December 9 board meeting agenda months before the Oxford High School shooting. She explained that Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America launched the Be SMART campaign.
Be SMART is a group that promotes responsible gun ownership and hopes to reduce child gun deaths through education and awareness about gun safety and storage. There are five "simple steps" the group promotes to help prevent shootings by children. They are:
S - secure all guns in your home and vehicles
M - model responsible behavior around guns
A - ask about the presence of unsecured guns in other homes
R - recognize the role of guns in suicide
T - tell your peers to be SMART
According to the group, each year in the U.S. nearly 260 children aged 17 and under gain access to a firearm and unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else. To read more about the presentation, click here.
In addition, the Royal Oak Police Department would like to remind residents and gun owners that they provide cable gun locks for FREE. Just stop by the front desk at the station and ask for a gun lock stop.
MORE RESOURCES:
Not An Accident:
https://everytownresearch.org/maps/notanaccident/
How Can We Prevent Gun Violence in American Schools?
https://everytownresearch.org/report/how-can-we-prevent-gun-violence-in-schools/