SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A new initiative aims to curb firearm-related suicides in Utah by offering free gun safes during mental health emergencies.
Backed by a grant for funding, the program equips mobile crisis teams in Salt Lake County with 600 safes to distribute during calls stemming from the state’s suicide hotline. The goal is to reduce access to unsecured guns at critical moments.
“I want to see our suicide rates in Utah decrease,” said Brook Anderson, programs manager with the Utah Public Health Association. “Those safes are going to be amazing because I personally use safes in my home to keep my children safe.”
MORE | Utah Mental Health:
Utah consistently ranks at or above the national average in firearm deaths. In the last decade, 84% of all firearm-related deaths in the state were suicides…