Law Enforcement Agencies’ Perceptions of the Benefits of and Barriers to Temporary Firearm Storage to Prevent Suicide

摘要

Objectives. To examine the perceived benefits of and barriers to law enforcement agencies providing increased access to voluntary and temporary firearm storage. Methods. We surveyed 448 police chiefs and sheriffs in 8 US Mountain West states about firearm storage practices, benefits of and barriers to storage, and related attitudes and beliefs. Data collection occurred during the spring and summer of 2016. Results. Nearly three quarters of agencies reported that they are already providing storage and perceive relatively few barriers in doing so. Agency characteristics were not associated with current provision of firearm storage. Among the barriers identified included state laws, limited space, training needs, and community perceptions. Benefits of storage included being perceived positively by the community and supporting health care workers. Conclusions. Engaging with law enforcement agencies in suicide prevention efforts and addressing their perceived barriers to providing temporary firearm storage have promise as part of a comprehensive suicide prevention approach. In 2016 suicide claimed 44?965 lives in the United States, a rate of 13.9 per 100?000 population. Firearms were responsible for more than half of those deaths. 1 In the Mountain West region, age-adjusted rates ranged from 17.6 (Arizona) to 26.0 (Montana) per 100?000, among the highest in the country. 1 Given the lethality of firearms, multiple health groups recommend safe storage of firearms as a critical aspect of suicide prevention. 2,3 So-called “means safety” strategies are among the few evidence-based approaches to preventing suicide. 4 As applied to firearms, this would be storing firearms safely, ideally outside the home, so that they are inaccessible to family members at risk for suicide. Medical professionals seeking to advise patients on suicide prevention and loved ones worried about a family member need resources in the community that are available to temporarily store firearms. 5 In addition to gun shops and shooting ranges, law enforcement agencies may store firearms for reasons unrelated to suicide and could leverage that infrastructure to voluntary store firearms for suicide prevention. 6,7 However, questions remain as to why law enforcement agencies do or do not offer voluntary firearm storage. We examined law enforcement agencies as potential community resources for temporary, voluntary storage of firearms. Specifically, we sought to understand the perceived benefits of and barriers to offering temporary storage options to assist in suicide prevention.