Authored by Cincinnati Councilmember Anna Albi
Every year, nearly 360 children under the age of 18 gain access to a firearm and unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else in America. In my neighborhood in 2022, we tragically lost a three-year-old when their six-year-old sibling unintentionally shot them when a loaded gun was left out in the house. This is unacceptable. And completely preventable.
As a member of Cincinnati City Council, I’ve been searching for effective ways to tackle the gun violence crisis in our community. Ohio is one of the 42 states with a firearm preemption statute, which limits the tools municipalities can use to help prevent gun violence. While the Ohio State Legislature has continually refused to move a secure storage bill out of committee, in 2023 Cincinnati passed a secure firearm storage ordinance. Unfortunately, this ordinance was later overruled in the Courts for violating Ohio’s preemption law, which highlights the difficulty of addressing gun violence at the local level.
One thing the State can’t prohibit us from doing, however, is public education. And that’s where Be SMART (Secure, Model, Ask, Recognize, Tell) comes in.
When guns aren’t properly stored, tragedy can strike — whether it’s a child finding a firearm and unintentionally shooting themselves or others, or someone stealing it and using it to commit a crime, or someone in a moment of crisis using a gun to die by suicide. An unsecured firearm can turn an entire community upside down. Be SMART teaches us that secure gun storage can prevent all of these tragedies. That’s why as local officials we should work to educate our constituents about the best practices to keeping weapons securely stored and our families safe from gun violence at home.
Be SMART offers a clear and effective framework for educating residents about the importance of secure firearm storage. I’ve personally used Be SMART to collaborate with our Cincinnati Public Schools, our local children’s hospital, law enforcement and community partners. The Be SMART message highlights the importance of gun safety for gun owners and non-gun owners alike and normalizes the conversation about secure firearm storage.
Secure firearm storage is an easy and effective way to protect our communities. Whether or not a gun is in your home, your child — or someone else’s — could be the one impacted by an unsecured and accessible weapon. That’s why it’s crucial to talk openly about secure storage, ask other parents about it and support efforts that make those conversations easier.
In Cincinnati, our Police Department has partnered with the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library to distribute nearly 400 gun locks, along with Be SMART materials at all library branches. Cities should help foster creative partnerships to educate the community on gun storage. This is how we play our part — and save lives.
The Be SMART program teaches us that gun safety isn’t political. Instead, practices like secure storage promote responsible practices that protect our families from senseless acts of gun violence.
If you want to help spread the word, just visit BeSMARTorKids.org, where you can find easy-to-follow steps for secure storage, tips for talking to children about guns, and more.
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