EBPD seeks firearm safety with gun locks
BY VINCENT TODARO
Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK - Following the tragic death of a township boy that resulted from an unsecured firearm, the police department is handing out gun locks to residents.

With the gun lock giveaway program, which began last week and will continue as supplies last, police are emphasizing the importance of following proper security precautions when storing firearms in the home.

"In an effort to increase awareness regarding the safe storage of firearms in the home, the department will be giving away gun locks to township residents at no cost," police spokesman Lt. William Krause wrote in a press release.

In June, an 11-year-old township boy shot and killed his friend, Alexander Khoudiakov, 12, while the two were playing in the townhome where the shooter lived with his father and grandmother. The shooter reportedly was unaware the gun was loaded.

Authorities later found 98 firearms and 1,600 rounds of ammunition in the home. Authorities said many of the guns were not secured from children, and a number of them were fully loaded. Since gun owners are required by law to keep firearms secure and out of the reach of children, the shooter's father and grandmother have been charged with endangerment.

The shooter himself pleaded guilty to manslaughter and is serving three years in a treatment facility for emotionally disturbed children.

East Brunswick Director of Public Safety Barry Roberson on Monday told the Township Council that gun locks are being made available to help ensure the safety of guns in township homes, especially in light of the June shooting.

The gun locks are available at the front desk of the police headquarters, and residents will be asked for identification as proof of township residency. Anyone seeking a lock will also be asked to fill out a short registration form.

There is a limit of two locks per resident, in order to make sure they are available to anyone requesting them.

Roberson said residents who request a gun lock will not be asked to show a gun license, though they will need to show identification.

The gun locks are meant to augment a safety procedure, not replace it. Police recommend that guns be stored in locked containers such as safes, in addition to using the gun locks. The locks stop the weapons from being fired, should an untrained or unauthorized person find the gun.

"The gun is an added layer of safety and, when properly used, may prevent the occurrence of accidents and injuries," according to the department's statement.

Roberson said the locks should be placed on the guns and that the weapons should also be kept in a locked box.

Council President Nancy Pinkin noted that finger-printing technology is being developed that would allow only the person whose fingerprint is recognized by the gun to use it.