Long Beach is giving away 200 gun safes next week with the intent of preventing accidental gun deaths and firearm theft.<\/p>\n
The free safes, which weigh about 10 pounds and can fit two handguns, will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 4. No registration is required.<\/p>\n
This is the second straight year that Long Beach has held the one-day event. Last year, all safes were claimed within 15 minutes.<\/p>\n
Long Beach residents can pick them up from:<\/p>\n
Main Health (2525 Grand Ave.)<\/p>\n
Miller Family Health Education Center (3820 Cherry Ave.)<\/p>\n
Ron Arias Health Equity Center (6335 Myrtle Ave.)<\/p>\n
About 67 safes will be handed out at each location.<\/p>\n
Residents are advised not to bring firearms to the sites, as weapons are prohibited at city facilities.<\/p>\n
All gun safes will come with gun safety educational materials, according to the city.<\/p>\n
The giveaway was funded by $40,000 from the city\u2019s budget as part of the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services\u2019 violence prevention strategy.<\/p>\n
Firearms have outpaced motor vehicles as the leading cause of death among children and adolescents aged 1-17, according to a nationwide study by the Kaiser Family Foundation.<\/a> From 2014 to 2024, the number of firearm deaths among children and adolescents rose 68%, according to the study.<\/p>\n By contrast, gun deaths specifically in Long Beach have been declining. In the first half of 2025, shootings hit a five-year low, police announced at the time<\/a>.<\/p>\n Storing guns safely is \u201ca proven strategy to reduce risk,\u201d Acting City Health Officer Dr. Cliff Okada said in a statement. Locking them away can help stop accidental shootings, theft and even suicide, he added.<\/p>\n