SUFFOLK, VIRGINIA – The Suffolk Sheriff’s Office will provide free firearm safety kits to local residents through a partnership with Project ChildSafe, the nationwide firearms safety education program. The safety kits, which include a gun lock, will be distributed on February 2, 2018 from 10:00 am -2:00 pm at Kroger at 1017 University Blvd., Suffolk.

Project ChildSafe, a program developed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), has distributed more than 37 million firearm safety kits throughout the country since 2003. The program is supported by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance and the firearms industry.

“We encourage residents to pick up a Project ChildSafe safety kit so that they can securely store their firearm,” said Sheriff E. C. Harris. “Each kit contains a safety curriculum and a cable-style gun lock. The locks fit on most types of handguns, rifles and shotguns. The goal is to prevent a child or any other unauthorized person from accessing a firearm in your home.”

By partnering with Project ChildSafe, the Suffolk Sheriff’s Office is participating in a national effort to promote firearms safety education to all gun owners. Project ChildSafe distributes gun lock safety kits to all 50 states and the five U.S. territories.

“We are pleased to have the Suffolk Sheriff’s Office as a Project ChildSafe partner,” said Bill Brassard Jr., director of Project ChildSafe. “Project ChildSafe is an important step forward in helping ensure that all firearm owners fully understand their responsibilities with respect to the safe handling and storage of firearms.”