Gun safety billboards pop up across Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County officials launched a countywide billboard campaign to promote gun safety on Monday. The billboards also tout messages that encourage gun owners to use gun locks to keep children safe from accidents.
"A significant portion of the gun violence that plagues our communities — especially unintentional deaths or injuries and gun suicides — can be prevented if firearms in the house are kept locked and unloaded," said Los Angeles County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer in a statement. "The billboard campaign and the free gun lock distribution program are critically important steps in the effort to reduce gun violence, especially gun violence involving children."
The billboards are primarily on display on heavily traveled parts of the 10 and 710 Freeways. They depict a young person next to a statistic that in LA Ciounty, a child is either killed or injured by gun violence every 30 hours.
Additionally, there are about 150 poster billboards displayed on bus benches across the county.
A report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that between 2003 and 2021, accidental gun deaths of children 17 and younger were most likely to occur in a house or an apartment, with 8 out of 10 such incidents taken place in a home, and more than half in a child's own home.
The CDC report also stated that in 2022, there were more than 800 deaths in LA County involving a firearm, 313 of which were gun suicide.
Viewers are directed to visit lockedandunloaded.org, where a free gun lock can be claimed. An interactive map will allow residents to find a distribution location for the more than 60,000 free cable gun locks that are available.
"Gun violence exacts a devastating toll on our communities, especially our youth," said LA County Medical Association CEO Gustavo Friedrichsen. "By advocating for responsible gun safety measures, such as the use of gun locks, we can prevent tragic accidents and save lives. We invite our healthcare community to help spread the word and we urge every member of our community to take advantage of this opportunity to make our homes safer and protect our loved ones. Together, we can make a meaningful difference i the fight against gun violence."
The digital billboard campaign was created in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Medical Association, LA Care Health Plan and the LA County Department of Public Health's Office of Violence Prevention.