By Town Crier Staff Report

The Los Altos Police Department is scheduled to give local gun owners complimentary gunlocks beginning Oct. 15 as part of a safety awareness campaign sponsored by Safe Kids.

Police said about 20 percent of all Peninsula households have guns, and sales have risen since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Police said they hope to decrease the number of unintentional gun injuries to children currently reported each year.

“This isn’t a ‘Big Brother’ program to find out who owns a gun. Safety is our key concern,” said Rod Sayre, public safety officer for the Los Altos Police Department. “This is an opportunity for us to educate the public. We want parents to know that they are responsible.”

To participate in the program, residents must make an appointment with police to pick up a gunlock at the department. Police will be on hand to demonstrate how to install the lock on a particular gun.

Safe Kids is a non-profit coalition for public health and law enforcement. The David and Lucile Packard Foundation funded the 150 locks that police intend to distribute.

To make an appointment to receive a gunlock, call Rod Sayer at the Los Altos Police Department, 948-8223.