Explanation
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this ordinance is to authorize the Public Safety Director, on behalf of the Division of Fire, to establish a purchase order with Carl Zipf Lock Shop, Inc for the purchase of cable gun locks for public distribution.
In the U.S., one in three families with children have at least one gun in the house, and each year, nearly 1,300 children die from shootings, many of those from accidental shootings. Most commonly, these shootings occur at the hand of a friend or relative of a similar age that gained access to the firearm. Just this year, there have been several accidental shootings of children in Columbus, with two of them being ages 2 and 7. To further its efforts to protect children from gun violence, Columbus City Council is partnering with the Division of Fire to make cable gun locks available to distribute to owners.
The first set of gun locks were distributed at our fire stations to anyone who requested one. Now, the distribution of additional gun locks is being expanded to the Police Community Liaison Officers, the RREACT teams, Fire Division recruitment teams, and the Mobile City Hall staff. To date, the City has distributed more than 1,820 gun locks to the community. This legislation provides funding for an additional 1,500 cable gun locks.
Below is information for the product to be purchased:
Item Description: 14” cable gun lock made from braided steel with 1-5/15 inch (33 mm) wide laminated steel padlock.
Item No: Master Lock No. 99DSPT
Price per unit: $5.65/unit
Quantity to purchase: 1,500
Shipping Fees: None
Total Cost: $8,475
This legislation also authorizes the appropriation and expenditure of $8,475.00 within the Public Safety Initiative subfund.
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: Emergency action is requested to ensure that the Division of Fire has the necessary funds to continue distributing the locks, to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of Columbus.
FISCAL IMPACT: T...
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