Council President O’Quinn spearheads gun safety initiative with ARPA funds
The Council approved an American Rescue Plan Act initiative spearheaded by Council President Darrell O’Quinn and funded through his office’s discretionary ARPA dollars.
According to the agreement, which totals $100,000, “Central Alabama Redevelopment Alliance will provide services to the City through the implementation of its Gun Safety Initiative to enhance community safety by providing education and resources for the safe storage of firearms in the City of Birmingham. The Gun Safety Initiative will connect community members with effective storage solutions and resources, including providing wire locks, gun safes, and storage boxes at no cost to the public.”
The initiative also includes providing demonstrations led by trained firearm specialists to better ensure that guns are stored responsibly, especially for families affected by chronic health conditions.
Council President Darrell O’Quinn explained that because the state of Alabama has high numbers of gun ownership, relatively lax gun restrictions and is not a home rule state, the City has to get creative with how it can reduce gun-related deaths.
“This is an effort to educate the public about firearm storage, which as we know, firearms are a big part of the culture here in America whether we like it or not,” President O’Quinn said. “Guns are in a lot of households and we want to ensure that people understand the importance of how to properly store them and keep them out of reach of children.”
Alabama consistently ranks among the highest in the U.S. for gun deaths. The state has a firearm death rate of 23.6 per 100,000 people, significantly higher than the national average of 14.6 per 100,000.
Also worth noting, the Alabama State Legislature passed bill in 2022 allowing anyone to carry a concealed gun without a permit. Permitless carry laws, like Alabama’s, have been linked to an increase in gun-related deaths, including a 13–15 percent rise in firearm homicides in states that enacted such laws.
Not only does proper gun storage help prevent accidents, but it can help keep guns out of the hands of criminals who burglarize homes and cars.
“I wanted to compliment my colleague on this item,” Councilor Valerie Abbott said. “It’s something I wouldn’t have thought of. But we know that when there is a car break in or a home invasion, one of the main items they’re looking for are guns. So keeping them safe and out of harm’s way will help prevent that. Beyond that, I’ve attended a funeral for a two-year-old who happened upon a gun that wasn’t stored properly. Unfortunately, we see too many headlines with similar outcomes. I’m hopeful this effort will help gun owners understand how critically important it is for them to safely store their weapons. Even one child losing their life over something like this is too many.”
More than 500 people are killed annually due to unintentional firearm shootings, with thousands more injured. Children are often victims, accessing unsecured firearms owned by adults. A child under 10 is killed by an unintentional shooting every six days on average, according to a study conducted by John Hopkins University.
“It’s been my experience that a lot of people who own a firearm do not give equal thought to how to safely store them when they’re not being carried,” President O’Quinn said. “Under no circumstances should they be stored between the seat cushions of a couch or something like that. This initiative is about teaching people the different methods of storage and to get them thinking about the options that are available to them and what can happen if they don’t give it much thought.”
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