ATLANTA — Atlanta City Council met Tuesday, where they approved legislation aimed at preventing guns from being stolen.
The proposed program would offer Atlanta residents free lockboxes for their guns, so they can be stored securely.
The legislation allows the council to request that the mayor's Office of Violence Reduction and the Atlanta Police Department develop a program to provide free firearm safety storage, also known as lockboxes, to those who qualify.
City Councilman Antonio Lewis proposed the lockbox legislation to help stop accidental shootings and reduce the theft of unsecured firearms.
As of October 2022, the City of Atlanta has had 26 self-inflicted gunshot wound cases, five of which were children, according to the city council.
As of the afternoon of Dec. 29, Atlanta Police Department officials confirmed its officers have handled at least 168 homicide cases in 2022, marking the third year in a row that Atlanta's homicide rate has increased.
As listed on the city's council website, APD reported that more than 200 unsecured guns were stolen from cars in 2021.
Other items approved during the council meeting Tuesday include a resolution urging Congress to re-introduce and approve the Youth PROMISE (Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education) Act. The Youth PROMISE Act would fund and support programs and initiatives to assess, develop, and implement evidence-based practices to help stop juvenile delinquency, youth violence, and criminal gang activity.