Michigan City Police made the following statement on Proper Gun Safety, “The Michigan City Police Department along with Chief Mark Swistek, in conjunction with our Violent Crime Reduction Initiative, would like to remind citizens of proper gun ownership guidelines. We have had numerous occurrences of guns being stolen from open areas to include homes and vehicles. Many times, we have discovered that the owners do not know their make, model or serial number of missing or stolen weapons. We also have found that improper, unsafe storage of weapons has been occurring based on the reports that have been filed.

TOP TEN TIPS for FIREARM SAFETY AND STORAGE IN YOUR HOME

Always keep the firearm’s pointed in a safe direction. A “safe direction” means that the gun is pointed so that even if an accidental discharge occurred, it would not result in injury.
PLEASE keep a record of your ownership, make, model and serial number assessible if your firearm comes up missing or stolen.
Always keep your finger off the trigger until you intend to shoot. When handling a gun, rest your finger outside the trigger guard or along the side of the gun. Don’t touch the trigger until you are ready to fire.
Firearms should be unloaded when not actually in use. Whenever you pick up a gun, such as when removing it from or returning it to storage, remember to point it in a safe direction and make sure it is unloaded.
Be sure you know how your firearm operates: read the manual on your firearm, know how to safely open and close the action of the firearm and know how to safely remove any ammunition from the firearm and its magazine.
Store your firearms in a locked cabinet, safe, gun vault or storage case when not in use, ensuring they are in a location inaccessible by children and cannot be handled by anyone without your permission.
Use a gun locking device that renders the firearm inoperable when not in use. A gun lock should be used as an additional safety precaution and not as a substitute for secure storage.
Make sure young people in your home are aware of and understand the safety guidelines concerning firearms. A reminder that if they find an unattended firearm to not touch it, and tell an adult.
Always unload, clean and place your firearms in their secure storage location immediately after returning from a hunting trip or a day at the range.
Educate everyone in your family about firearms safety.

The police also added the following statement:

“AS A GOAL IN OUR VIOLENT CRIME DEDUCTION INITIATIVE AS A MEASURE FOR SAFER AND SECURE STORAGE WE ARE OFFERING “FREE GUN LOCKS” TO ALL RESIDENTS OF MICHIGAN CITY.

JUST STOP AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FRONT DESK AND ASK FOR YOUR FREE GUN LOCK.

We want to assure our community that the Michigan City Police Department is committed to protecting and serving the citizens of our great city. We would encourage residents to treat all firearms in a safe, responsible fashion.”