Be SMART volunteers brief Lakewood board on secure firearm storage program

Volunteers from the Be SMART secure firearm storage initiative told the Lakewood City School District board that the district’s outreach has become a model for connecting parents to practical steps to reduce child firearm injury and suicide risk.

Kathleen McGorry and Elise Lamparic explained the Be SMART framework — Secure, Model, Ask, Recognize, Tell — and said the board adopted a resolution in 2022 supporting secure storage messaging. McGorry noted district resources: brochures in school offices, a family-hub posting of Be SMART materials and an annual summer flyer that includes a secure-storage reminder. She also said the Lakewood Police Department provides free cable gun locks and pointed to low-cost biometric safes as an affordable option.

Speakers cited national statistics during the presentation: volunteers said firearms are a leading cause of death among children and that about 1,300 to 1,500 children and teens die by firearm-related causes each year in the United States. "Most guns used in school shootings come from the home," one presenter said, urging adults to assume children can find unsecured firearms and to take steps to secure them.

Board members thanked the presenters and discussed how the message is being normalized at PTA meetings, family events, and in welcome materials for new families. The presenters recommended parents "ask" about firearms in homes their children visit and model secure behavior at home.

No policy change or new funding request was made at the meeting; presenters said their work builds on the 2022 board resolution and longstanding community outreach.