Gun Safety Tips for Children
Posted by jhingarat21 on 11th Sep 2015
The McAlester Police Department would like to stress the importance of gun safety.
Even if you don’t own a gun, it’s important to teach your kids about the dangers of guns. They may find a gun outside, or come across a gun in a public area. If you do own guns and plan to teach your kids to shoot, they need to know how to handle guns safely. Here are just a few tips that you should tell your kids about guns:
If you find a gun
If you find a strange gun, do not touch it or pick it up. Don’t assume any gun is a toy. Instead, leave the immediate area and inform an adult that you trust, such as a parent, neighbor or police officer.
Firing a gun
Never handle a gun without a parent or adult present. Never load a gun until you are ready to use it, and never touch the trigger until you are ready to fire. Do not trust the safety switch on the gun. Never rest a loaded gun against another object. It could fall with enough force to cause it to fire.
Handling a gun
When using a gun, never point the barrel at a person or anything that you are not willing to kill, even if you think the gun is empty. Treat every gun as if it were loaded, and always point the gun in a safe direction. Some guns automatically load a bullet into the firing chamber. Even if you remove the bullet cartridge, the gun can still be loaded and able to fire.
Take a hunting safety course with your parent or parents. Many states offer them as a requirement. The National Rifle Association also offers a Youth Hunter Education Challenge course. When you are using a gun for hunting, never fire at an animal you can’t see. It could be another person hiding in the brush. If you are firing at a target, wait until other people and animals are out of the line of fire.
It is very important that you talk to your kids about guns. Stress to them that guns are dangerous and if they find a gun, or what they think might be a gun, outside, in a park, at a school or any place to tell a trusted adult immediately. Keep your guns locked up! If you own guns, let your kids know the dangers and if they ever want to look at the guns, to get a parent. Kids are curious! Tell them that showing a gun off to a friend is not cool. Explain to them that it only takes one mistake with a gun to change their life forever. Also explain to them the uses of guns, such as hunting and recreation and tell them why police carry guns. Some content contained in this article was taken from policeone.com.
The McAlester Police Department teaches a gun safety course to children of all ages. We would be glad to come to your school, church or other organization to teach a class. Classes are free. If you are interested, contact Officer Jeremy Busby at (918) 423-9657 or email him at jeremy.busby@cityofmcalester.com. If you have any information that may help us solve a crime, contact the McAlester Police Departments Criminal Investigations Division at (918) 421-4917 or email Det. Sgt. Chris Morris at chris.morris@cityofmcalester.com. You may remain anonymous. To report any other criminal or suspicious activity, contact the McAlester Police Department at (918) 423-1212 or dial 911 if it is an emergency. Have a great week and don’t text and drive!
Tip of the Week
Since school has started, we have had several complaints of vehicles passing school buses while loading and unloading. Not only is this a violation of state law, this is very dangerous for our young children getting on and off the bus. If a bus is stopped and the stop sign is out, you are required to stop! The fine for this is $270.00 and your license will be suspended.
Det. Sgt. Chris Morris is the public information officer for the McAlester Police Department.
