TAMPA, Fla. — As the manager of the Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Public Library in Tampa, Shedriek Battle helps provide the community with a lot of things.
“Books, movies, music, and, of course, computer access,” Battle said.
However, the newest resource his library and three others will provide is a little different.
“I think the library is the perfect place to do this,” he said.
Wednesday, Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw delivered a box of gun locks to Battle as part of the department’s brand new Locked and Unloaded program and partnership with the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative.
“I encourage anybody to take advantage of this or even come and get one for a friend,” the chief said.
After a rash of recent gun crimes — many involving teenagers — the chief believes more locks will make it that much harder for the wrong people to get their hands on guns.
“Think about stealing a car with a club on it. You’re not going to steal that car, so you’re going to go on and find something more simple to steal,” he said.
But firearms instructor Ryan Thomas isn’t so sure.
“What I see the government typically doing with these situations is trying to put a piece of duct tape over the check engine light of our society,” said Thomas, the co-founder of Warrior Cloud.
While he says gun locks are good at preventing accidental shootings involving young children, he thinks they don’t deter would-be criminals.
“If a bad guy sees a gun in a car — whether there’s a lock on it or not — a bad guy is taking that gun,” Thomas said.
He thinks strengthening families and addressing poverty have the biggest impacts on crime.
Battle, however, isn’t deterred and thinks the locks will help.
“I’m hopeful and optimistic that we can make a difference, you know, big or small,” he said.
Chief Bercaw said the locks are part of a bigger strategy this summer that also includes free gun safety classes, expanded recreational programs for kids, and increased patrols.
The locations participating in the gun lock program include the Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Public Library, the Jan K. Platt Regional Library, the North Tampa Branch Library, and the New Tampa Regional Library.
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