A new campaign started in Polk County, Iowa, is encouraging residents to talk about gun safety and practice safe storage of guns.
Helen Eddy, Director of Polk County Health Department, said Talk It Up, Lock It Up was created to prevent and reduce the number of gun-related injuries occurring in Polk County. Gun injuries are one the leading causes of death for children and young adults in the county.
“Our campaign focuses on normalizing the conversation around safe gun storage (talk it up) and encouraging firearm owners to store their firearms locked and unloaded, with the ammunition stored separately (lock it up),” she said. “By reducing their access to firearms, we are trying to prevent gun related injuries that occur from accidental shootings, suicides, and homicides.”
Here, Eddy talks more about Talk It Up, Lock It Up and how the campaign is growing in the county and beyond with the help of partners.
Q & A: What resources can parents and healthcare providers find on the Talk It Up, Lock It UP website?
Parents can find information on how to talk about gun safety with other parents. Firearms owners can see recommendations for safe gun storage, along with a map of free gun lock pick-up sites. And we have a whole page dedicated to providers with links to trainings on how to talk about gun safety with families and parents. Lastly, everyone can download our gun safety materials directly from our website, for their use and sharing.
Q & A: Why did the Polk County Health Department develop the Talk It Up, Lock It UP campaign?
We created our ‘Talk it Up, Lock it Up’ campaign in order to prevent and reduce the number of gun-related injuries occurring in Polk County. Over 230 residents died of gun injuries between the years 2018 to 2022. During this time period, 1 in 4 of all gun-related deaths in the county were children and young adults aged 1-24 years old.
Once we saw the stats, we started doing research on public health, evidence-based approaches to addressing this issue. What we found (recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics) is that safe gun storage can prevent gun-related injuries.
Q & A: What has been the role of partners in developing and launching this campaign?
Our partners have had a huge role in helping us launch and spread awareness of our campaign.
We launched our campaign with a press conference, wherein two pediatricians and the Polk County Sheriff spoke. Then, we ran a two-month long PSA campaign on radio and TV, with funding provided from Polk County Board of Supervisors, UnityPoint Health, and MercyOne.
Many of our partners also serve as a pick-up site for free gun cable locks. We currently have 41 locations across Polk County including law enforcement agencies, public libraries, and community centers. Gun cable locks are provided to us for free from our partner U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Central Iowa Health Care System.
Additionally, community organizations have helped promote our campaign by sharing our messages online through social media and through putting out our flyers and brochures.
Q & A: How are you raising awareness of the Talk It Up, Lock It UP campaign in Polk County and beyond?
We are raising awareness of our ‘Talk it Up, Lock it Up’ campaign through our multimedia campaign and grassroots efforts. Since launching our campaign back in August of 2023 we have had:
- 13 earned media segments
- 12 articles in partner publications
- 3 articles in Senate email updates
- 2-month radio and TV PSA run
- Over 150 community posts and shares in social media
We’ve also presented and tabled at over 15 events, received 6 city and county proclamations, had multiple (over 20) meetings with partners to tell them about our initiative, and as a result, we’ve given away over 650 gun cable locks.
Next steps of our campaign include engaging our schools in this conversation, working with our healthcare partners on gun safety education, and presenting at the Iowa Public Health Conference. Our hope is that other counties will replicate what we have done. Of special note, Hardin County has already replicated our campaign. They now have 10 pick-up sites for free gun cable locks, showing that our campaign is replicable in other counties in Iowa.
Q & A: What motivates you about this work?
When a gun injury happens, it’s a deeply traumatic event for the victim, but it also affects all those connected to the victim: the provider, the victim’s friends and family, and even the community can all experience trauma wherein the gun injury occurred. What we have learned is that safe gun storage can help protect our children.
When we see emerging health issues, it’s our job as public health professionals to find a method of prevention. We’ve done just that, but we need the community’s help to share our message. Gun Safety Saves Lives. Talk it Up, Lock it Up.
Published March 4, 2024
Some resources:
Video: Talk It Up, Lock It UP: Gun Safety Awareness Campaign.
For providers: Gun safety resources and education
Preventing firearm injury: What clinicians can do
Watch the webinar from Prevent Child Injury webinar: How to ask others about guns in their home.
UI IPRC blog post: Safer gun storage to prevent child injuries and death
Read some sample ways to ask about secure gun storage from the BE SMART campaign.
Read Moms Demand Action’s Julvonnia McDowell’s story. She lost her 14-year-old son JaJuan when he was shot and killed by another teen playing with an unsecured gun while visiting another family for spring break.