Dear Representatives Golden and Davis,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the National Fraternal Order of Police to advise you that we join the Maine State FOP Lodge in supporting H.R. 4136, the “Responsible Ownership of Firearms Act.”
Law enforcement agencies at every level of government share the same mission—to keep our communities safe. This mission encompasses not only traditional law enforcement and policing, but also working with community members to educate and create safer environments. One of the ways State and local agencies—more than 15,000 since 1999—have done this is by partnering with community-based and non-profit organizations to provide and distribute firearm safety education kits, which often include trigger locks and other devices meant to safely store firearms.
These efforts to better educate the public about responsible firearm ownership—including how to safely store and handle them—help make our communities safer. This is why we support your bill, which would establish a Federal, competitive grant program for non-profit organizations which partner with a local, State, or tribal law enforcement agency to purchase and distribute firearm locking devices and develop educational materials on safe and responsible gun ownership. We believe a program like the one you have proposed will reduce the rates of accidental deaths, thefts, and criminal misuse of firearms in our homes and communities.
On behalf of the more than 356,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I am pleased to support H.R. 4136 and look forward to working with you to move this bill through Congress. If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President