Safe and Secure Firearm Storage: It Starts at Home

By Brenda Goss Andrews, PhD – 30-Year Law Enforcement Executive & Former President of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)

A Preventable Crisis

For more than three decades, I served as a law enforcement officer in the Detroit Police Department. There is nothing worse than witnessing the death or serious injury of a child or adolescent. According to data from Everytown/BeSmart, nearly 400 children lose their lives each year due to unsecured firearms in households. A home should be a safe place for our children to live and play, and it is up to adults to ensure children are protected against serious injury or death from unsecured firearms at home. In nearly every case involving a child or teen and an unsecured firearm, one truth remains painfully clear to me: “these tragedies are preventable”.

Continuing the Message through Education

Today, I serve proudly as a substitute teacher with the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD). When I see the beautiful faces and the students' eagerness to learn, I am determined to continue my quest to protect our children and youth from preventable deaths and injuries from unsecured firearm storage.

Each day in the classroom reminds me of the value and potential that every child holds. Their enthusiasm for learning strengthens my resolve to ensure that they have a safe environment—both in school and at home. My experience as a law enforcement professional and now educator reinforces the urgent need for responsible firearm storage. I remain committed to raising awareness and advocating for measures that will protect our youth from unnecessary harm, and I ask all of you to join me in this important endeavor.

My mission is straightforward: to give families the information, tools, and resources they need to keep their children safe at home. With my NOBLE initiative “It Starts at Home,” I concentrate on education, responsibility, collaborations, and real-life actions that help prevent children from being injured or killed by unsecured firearms in households or while visiting others.

Why Safe Storage Matters

Unsecured firearms contribute to:

• Accidental shootings involving children
• Serious injuries or death
• Teen suicides
• School gun incidents
• Criminal activity when firearms are stolen from homes or vehicles

Research shows that the majority of guns used in youth suicides, unintentional shootings, and school incidents originate from obtaining a firearm from home. Many parents may believe their children “don’t know where the gun is”, but this is far from the truth. Curiosity, impulsiveness, or peer pressure can turn easy access into tragedy. Reports have shown that children as young as two or three years old can pull the trigger on an automatic weapon, oftentimes with tragic consequences.

Responsible Firearm Storage

Safe firearm storage is not complicated, but it is essential to prevent senseless injury or death. Recently, two tragic incidents occurred involving the death and injury of five-year-old children who gained access to unsecured firearms. Such events are preventable through proper gun storage practices.

For example, secure firearms are always:

1. Unloaded and Stored Separately

Firearms should never be stored loaded in a home where children or teens are present. Ammunition should be stored separately from the firearm to prevent easy access.

2. Locked

Use a:

• Biometric safe
• Cable lock
• Lockbox

Preventing Unauthorized Use and Theft

Safe storage isn’t only about protecting children—it is also about protecting communities. Many firearms recovered in crimes originate as unsecured weapons that were stolen from homes or vehicles. Responsible storage saves lives and keeps our communities safe.

Education Begins at Home

The most effective safety tool is communication. Parents and caregivers should have age-appropriate conversations about:

• What are firearms and their dangers
• Why they must never touch a firearm
• Why they must immediately move away and tell an adult if a firearm is visible
• Talk about firearm safety with families and friends your kids visit.

Just as families discuss driving, social media, bullying, and peer pressure, firearm safety must be part of this conversation.

Community Partnerships Strengthen Safety

As former President of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, I have seen the power of schools, faith-based institutions, law enforcement, and community organizations working together. Collective action amplifies the message that “safe gun storage saves lives.”

A Call to Action

Safe storage is a responsibility.

Protecting our children requires simple, consistent steps inside every home. When families embrace secure storage practices, when communities support education, and when legislation reinforces safety as we have done in Michigan, we create a safe environment where tragedies are not just reduced—they are prevented. Gun locks can be obtained free of charge at any police station.

Safety begins with awareness.

Please refer to the links below for additional details regarding Michigan’s Safe Homes, Safe Schools legislation, as well as guidance on secure firearm storage.

MDE Resources on Michigan's Child Access Prevention law: https://www.michigan.gov/mde/services/health-safety/topics/school-safety/safe-storage-law

Be SMART for Kids - Resources/How to ask other parents about secure gun storage: https://besmartforkids.org/secure-gun-storage/resources/#asking-about-secure-gun-storage

Be SMART for Kids - Smart Conversations - Sample conversations about secure gun storage (video series): https://besmartforkids.org/smart-conversations/

University of Michigan - Michigan's Firearm Safety Laws - information about further gun safety laws in Michigan https://firearminjury.umich.edu/mi-firearm-laws/