Public Radio for the Piedmont and High Country
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

State launches safe firearms storage campaign

Guns safes sit against a wall at a gun shop. A new campaign in North Carolina aims to raise awareness about safe firearms storage. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Guns safes sit against a wall at a gun shop. A new campaign in North Carolina aims to raise awareness about safe firearms storage. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

North Carolina has launched an initiative to raise awareness about safe firearm storage. 

The North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS) on Thursday launched the NC S.A.F.E. public awareness campaign. The acronym “SAFE” stands for Secure All Firearms Effectively. The initiative will encompass digital, TV, and radio advertising, as well as a new website featuring information about best practices for safe firearm storage. 

The campaign is a response to the skyrocketing number of gun-related deaths and injuries among young people, along with a stark rise in firearm thefts. 

According to an NCDPS news release, child and youth deaths from firearm-related injuries rose 231 percent from 2012 through 2021. Guns have now become the leading cause of death among this age group. And nearly 380,000 guns are stolen every year, with many taken from vehicles. 

Officials believe collective adoption of proper firearm storage procedures can help turn those numbers around. 

The NC S.A.F.E website features information on how to safely store firearms, a safety checklist, and guidance for parents. 

Governor Roy Cooper will kick off a week of safe storage events on June 5. 

Neal Charnoff joined 88.5 WFDD as Morning Edition host in 2014. Raised in the Catskill region of upstate New York, he graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1983. Armed with a liberal arts degree, Neal was fully equipped to be a waiter. So he prolonged his arrested development bouncing around New York and L.A. until discovering that people enjoyed listening to his voice on the radio. After a few years doing overnight shifts at a local rock station, Neal spent most of his career at Vermont Public Radio. He began as host of a nightly jazz program, where he was proud to interview many of his idols, including Dave Brubeck and Sonny Rollins. Neal graduated to the news department, where he was the local host for NPR's All Things Considered for 14 years. In addition to news interviews and features, he originated and produced the Weekly Conversation On The Arts, as well as VPR Backstage, which profiled theater productions around the state. He contributed several stories to NPR, including coverage of a devastating ice storm. Neal now sees the value of that liberal arts degree, and approaches life with the knowledge that all subjects and all art forms are connected to each other. Neal and his wife Judy are enjoying exploring North Carolina and points south. They would both be happy to never experience a Vermont winter again.

Support quality journalism, like the story above,
with your gift right now.

Donate