Bills to Carry LAPD Gun Safety Message

A new safety message is coming in the mid-May utility bill that Los Angeles police hope will silence the random gunfire that punctuates many holiday celebrations.

The drive to educate city residents on the hazards of guns, how to handle them safely and lawfully and how to avoid confrontations with police began after Department of Water and Power commissioners voted recently to insert the safety brochure in utility bill envelopes.

“The brochure is sort of a kickoff of a larger campaign we hope to have going before the Fourth of July,” police spokesman Cmdr. William Booth said. “The New Year’s this past year was the worst in terms of people celebrating with firing firearms into the air.”

The brochure warns people carrying guns who encounter police to avoid sudden movements and to immediately drop the weapon. Police hope that violent incidents can be avoided if people think of the consequences before they pick up a gun.