The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion on Tuesday that will explore giving away free gun locks at county-operated hospitals and medical campuses.
What are gun locks?
Gun locks are a way of securing firearms, which is required by state law if there are children in the home. There are a variety of different locks out there, but one of the most common kinds is the cable lock, according to the California attorney general’s office.
The locks usually have a steel cable that can be looped through the gun to prevent accidental firing. The gun can be used again once the cable is released using a set of keys that comes with the lock. However, unlike a lock-box or gun safe, cable locks aren’t designed to prevent theft or keep firearms out of reach.
Supervisor Janice Hahn showed off a cable lock to her colleagues during the meeting.
“They’re very easy to use, they’re very secure and they make a lot of sense,” she said. “Using gun locks can prevent tragedies in the home, especially with children.”
Hahn pointed to a deadly incident in July when a 3-year-old accidentally shot and killed their 1-year-old sister in their San Diego home.
Why hospitals?
Hahn said hospitals around the country are giving away free gun locks because some studies have shown that people are more likely to use gun locks at home if they’re given to them by a doctor or in a medical setting.
A 2022 study from Cincinnati Children’s found that when a hospital gave gun locks to families of children with mental health concerns, more than 70% used them to lock up their firearms at home.
As 150 children came to St. Louis Children’s Hospital…
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