June 28, 2024 • 11 mins
In this interview with BIN, Former Deputy Chief Andrews explains why gun safety is an issue we must take seriously.
You can learn more about Former Deputy Chief Brenda Goss Andrews here.
You can learn more about Former Deputy Chief Brenda Goss Andrews here.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
When did the issue of unintentional shootingsmy children catch your attention? Well,
it was really by happenstance or maybedivine intervention. I'm not sure, but
I was working on a class paperfor my doctor and I came across an
article about unintentional shootings from unsecured gunsat home, and it pointed out that
these shootings were happening primarily and withminority children and homes of lower socioeconomic circumstances.
(00:27):
So that right there piqued my interests. And even though it wasn't part
of my assignment, I thought itwas something that I would like to know
a little bit more about. SoI started searching. I didn't really find
any other articles, so I startedsearching for news articles, and much to
my surprise, there was quite afew articles out there about accidental shootings with
(00:49):
young children, I mean young underten years old, And that's what was
stark for me. And they werebeing killed at home unsecured guns. They're
killing themselves, killing other siblings,other children that happened to be by,
and it was quite prevalent. Andalso I talked to colleagues across the country,
some of the police chiefs. Isaid is this happening in your community
(01:12):
or is this just an anomaly?And they said, no, it's really
happening. I said, well,we don't hear much about it. So
that's kind of what got me startedand being interested in this particular topic.
Now, as a law enforcement expert, what about the situation and the number
of unintentional shootings registered most with you. I'm speaking more from a law enforcement
(01:34):
perspective, something that we in thepublic may not really understand well. I
think what was most startling is thatchildren as young as two and three years
old, we're getting a hold ofthese guns and shooting themselves. And I
was just wondering, how are theyable to do this and why were the
guardians of these children being so negligent. So what registered with me is that
(01:57):
this does not have to have happened. This is something that is preventable.
And as I dug into it alittle bit more, another thing was that
our young people are our teens,and we know suicides have gone up,
but most of the time they're gettingthese guns from home. In mass shootings
like Sandy Hook and right here inmy metropolitan area, Oxford High School,
(02:17):
a student took a gun from homeand killed four of their classmates. So
all that registered with me that weweren't really talking about it, we weren't
really hearing about it, and weweren't hearing anything from the media. And
that was one of my major concerns, is why aren't we hearing more reporting
on this incident? And it seemsto be happening all around our country.
(02:40):
So when you look at campaigns likethe one you started with Noble, which
is it Starts at Home, andthen the one that we're doing here the
Black Information Network Locket and Store It, what's your hope as we work to
bring attention and raise awareness about thisissue. When I launched this campaign as
the president of Noble Nation, organizationof black law enforcement executives, I wanted
(03:02):
a campaign that was going to bemeaningful, that was going to be sustainable,
something that was going to make achange or social change in our community
and be impactful. And I cameup with it starts at Home. And
a lot of people say, well, why did you come up with that
cliche? So, because if youthink about it, everything starts at home.
(03:23):
Our lives as soon as we're born. It starts at home. Whether
we learn things, whether it's good, bad or in different you know,
it actually starts at home. SoI said, I will pick this and
kind of resonate with people. Itbe something they can understand, and we
started the campaign. That was oneof my pillars, and I started working
with law enforcement agencies. We wereable to get gunlocks and do some free
(03:46):
events around the country with law enforcement, and you know, that was really
welcomed by my colleagues. They knewabout it, but it had not been
any organized campaign to deal with it. Certainly, fast forward now past few
years. Last year, we're beginningto hear more and more about people picking
this up and talking about gun safetyand safe gun storage. Are there are
(04:09):
laws that are being passed. Iknow here in Michigan we passed a safe
gun Storage Act that has penalties attachedto it. So right now, I
think it's just a matter of awarenessthings that you're doing with your network,
that we're talking about it, andwe're letting the community know, and we're
letting people know about this and thatit is happening, and we're losing four
(04:29):
hundred children, you know, ayear, and that's very disturbing for me.
What is it about guns that capturesthe attention and interest of children,
I mean, especially extremely young oneswho don't understand the dangers of firearms.
Well, I want to go allthe way back, because you know,
America was kind of built on violenceand guns, so we're unlike some other
countries that did not have that fascinationabout guns and violence. So our country
(04:56):
kind of glorified that. And ifyou think back, I know, I
think back when we were kids,we played cowboys and Indians or cops and
robbers, so you know, webecame fascinated with the gun. We looked
at cartoons that show but in thecartoon it always showed you would shoot them
and then what would happen next nextthing, you know, they were standing
(05:17):
back up. So children don't understand, you know, the injury and the
death side of it. You know, it becomes just kind of a game
and a fun and a fascination.And we as adults, we've allowed that
to kind of grow and fester.So I think especially young children, that
they don't grasp that, and youknow, those tender ages, it's kind
(05:40):
of hard for them to form that. I don't think their brains are in
place where they can really understand theconsequences and the effects. It's something you
have a two or three year old, you know, they have no idea.
So I think our culture builds that. How receptive are gun owners to
making certain that their firearms are safethey are locked and stored and even unloaded
(06:02):
as they are putting them away andputting them out of the reach of children.
To be candid and don't have anyresearch or data on this, I
think we do have some responsible gunowners out there, but they have politicized
this so much that the attention thatwe need to pay in terms of keeping
(06:24):
our children and our youth safe islost, you know, in that messaging
of politics and partisan politics, whenwe really should be concentrating on how we
can prevent this from happening. SoI would think there are some responsible gun
owners, but there are many outthere that are not, And therein lies
(06:45):
the problem, and therein lies thefour hundred children that we're seeing, you
know, being killed or harmed eachyear. When you hear of a child
or a person losing their life becauseof an unintentional shooting, what goes through
your mind? And that on apersonal level, and then also from your
years and experience in law enforcement.Two words preventable this could have been prevented,
(07:08):
This did not have to happen,and just anguish, you know,
just tragedy because when I hear aboutthem, I take it kind of personally.
I don't know the children. I'vesaid, this is a child,
this is a baby who will notlive their life. You know, they
will not have play time, theywill not go to prom they will not
grow up and have their own children. And I just start, you know,
(07:30):
thinking of it in that term.So it's very disturbing, and I
do kind of take it personally eachtime that I hear about it because I
know that whatever the case is,it could have been prevented. You know,
when I read the story, theysaid the child got the gun from
a nightstand, or they got itfrom under the bed, under the pillow.
We had a case here in Detroitmaybe a year or so ago,
(07:54):
think a five year old and soone came over to visit and they put
their gun on a table and theyput their hat on top of the table,
on top of the gun. Well, you know, the child reached
under there and got the gun andI believe shot another child. So is
this kind of careless ness that reallybothers me because I know this can be
(08:16):
prevented. This is one of thoseshootings, in one of those things that
we have an ability to prevent,and in that kind of situation, they
are more than just one family that'sinvolved in most of these, right,
there's the child who was lost intheir family, and then in instances where
the child is a perpetrator, theirchildren or their family too, who then
(08:37):
the parents or whoever is a gunowner possibly facing charges, but just the
whole situation really is tragic for anyand everyone involved. Do we really understand
the extent and the level of lossthat these kind of situations impart on our
families and on our communities. Idon't think we do, And I think
that's one of the reasons why it'svery important that we continue to message this
(09:01):
and we continue to talk about it, because this is a tragedy that affects,
you know, the entire family,It affects the community, It affects
the school. You know that someof these children are in schools or daycrees,
the teachers. I mean, it'svery widespread when these kinds of incidents
happen, so it kind of becomesa public health crisis. It's something that
(09:24):
all of us as a community shouldbe concerned about we have the mental anguish.
You know of this happening in somestates now the parents are now being
prosecuted. As we wrap up ourconversation with you today, Brenda, if
you would take a moment to speakto our listeners about the importance of securing
their firearms and keeping them out ofthe reach of children. And I say
this not so much as asking aquestion from a journalist's perspective, but really
(09:48):
just wanting to hear your heart unfilteredabout this issue and why it's so important
that we lock it and store itevery night, every day, however often
we have to to keep the outof the reach of our children. It's
you know, I've said so muchabout it so far, it's beginning to
sound like a broken record. Butthis is something that we can prevent.
(10:09):
And it's not a lot of thingsthat we can prevent around gun safety,
but this is one of them.So I want to look at this as
a call, not only a callto action. It's a matter of urgency.
We need to bring some urgency tothis because it's a crisis. We're
losing too many children and to theparents and guardians out there you are responsible
(10:31):
for your young people, for yourteens. Please lock up your gun,
Please store a gun, get agun locked, Get more information. The
important thing is that we save lives, We save children. Our research is
all ready shown that when we lockup our guns, when we store them,
when we keep them unloaded and locked, secured and not accessible, that
(10:56):
we do save life. And that'sabout all I can say that this is
something preventable. But it takes allof us working together, the community,
everyone putting this message out, andit is a matter of urgency. We've
gone past just having casual conversation aboutit. This is an urgent matter and
(11:18):
we need to take care of it, and we need to make sure that
our kids and our young people aresafe.
When did the issue of unintentional shootingsmy children catch your attention? Well,
it was really by happenstance or maybedivine intervention. I'm not sure, but
I was working on a class paperfor my doctor and I came across an
article about unintentional shootings from unsecured gunsat home, and it pointed out that
these shootings were happening primarily and withminority children and homes of lower socioeconomic circumstances.
(00:27):
So that right there piqued my interests. And even though it wasn't part
of my assignment, I thought itwas something that I would like to know
a little bit more about. SoI started searching. I didn't really find
any other articles, so I startedsearching for news articles, and much to
my surprise, there was quite afew articles out there about accidental shootings with
(00:49):
young children, I mean young underten years old, And that's what was
stark for me. And they werebeing killed at home unsecured guns. They're
killing themselves, killing other siblings,other children that happened to be by,
and it was quite prevalent. Andalso I talked to colleagues across the country,
some of the police chiefs. Isaid is this happening in your community
(01:12):
or is this just an anomaly?And they said, no, it's really
happening. I said, well,we don't hear much about it. So
that's kind of what got me startedand being interested in this particular topic.
Now, as a law enforcement expert, what about the situation and the number
of unintentional shootings registered most with you. I'm speaking more from a law enforcement
(01:34):
perspective, something that we in thepublic may not really understand well. I
think what was most startling is thatchildren as young as two and three years
old, we're getting a hold ofthese guns and shooting themselves. And I
was just wondering, how are theyable to do this and why were the
guardians of these children being so negligent. So what registered with me is that
(01:57):
this does not have to have happened. This is something that is preventable.
And as I dug into it alittle bit more, another thing was that
our young people are our teens,and we know suicides have gone up,
but most of the time they're gettingthese guns from home. In mass shootings
like Sandy Hook and right here inmy metropolitan area, Oxford High School,
(02:17):
a student took a gun from homeand killed four of their classmates. So
all that registered with me that weweren't really talking about it, we weren't
really hearing about it, and weweren't hearing anything from the media. And
that was one of my major concerns, is why aren't we hearing more reporting
on this incident? And it seemsto be happening all around our country.
(02:40):
So when you look at campaigns likethe one you started with Noble, which
is it Starts at Home, andthen the one that we're doing here the
Black Information Network Locket and Store It, what's your hope as we work to
bring attention and raise awareness about thisissue. When I launched this campaign as
the president of Noble Nation, organizationof black law enforcement executives, I wanted
(03:02):
a campaign that was going to bemeaningful, that was going to be sustainable,
something that was going to make achange or social change in our community
and be impactful. And I cameup with it starts at Home. And
a lot of people say, well, why did you come up with that
cliche? So, because if youthink about it, everything starts at home.
(03:23):
Our lives as soon as we're born. It starts at home. Whether
we learn things, whether it's good, bad or in different you know,
it actually starts at home. SoI said, I will pick this and
kind of resonate with people. Itbe something they can understand, and we
started the campaign. That was oneof my pillars, and I started working
with law enforcement agencies. We wereable to get gunlocks and do some free
(03:46):
events around the country with law enforcement, and you know, that was really
welcomed by my colleagues. They knewabout it, but it had not been
any organized campaign to deal with it. Certainly, fast forward now past few
years. Last year, we're beginningto hear more and more about people picking
this up and talking about gun safetyand safe gun storage. Are there are
(04:09):
laws that are being passed. Iknow here in Michigan we passed a safe
gun Storage Act that has penalties attachedto it. So right now, I
think it's just a matter of awarenessthings that you're doing with your network,
that we're talking about it, andwe're letting the community know, and we're
letting people know about this and thatit is happening, and we're losing four
(04:29):
hundred children, you know, ayear, and that's very disturbing for me.
What is it about guns that capturesthe attention and interest of children,
I mean, especially extremely young oneswho don't understand the dangers of firearms.
Well, I want to go allthe way back, because you know,
America was kind of built on violenceand guns, so we're unlike some other
countries that did not have that fascinationabout guns and violence. So our country
(04:56):
kind of glorified that. And ifyou think back, I know, I
think back when we were kids,we played cowboys and Indians or cops and
robbers, so you know, webecame fascinated with the gun. We looked
at cartoons that show but in thecartoon it always showed you would shoot them
and then what would happen next nextthing, you know, they were standing
(05:17):
back up. So children don't understand, you know, the injury and the
death side of it. You know, it becomes just kind of a game
and a fun and a fascination.And we as adults, we've allowed that
to kind of grow and fester.So I think especially young children, that
they don't grasp that, and youknow, those tender ages, it's kind
(05:40):
of hard for them to form that. I don't think their brains are in
place where they can really understand theconsequences and the effects. It's something you
have a two or three year old, you know, they have no idea.
So I think our culture builds that. How receptive are gun owners to
making certain that their firearms are safethey are locked and stored and even unloaded
(06:02):
as they are putting them away andputting them out of the reach of children.
To be candid and don't have anyresearch or data on this, I
think we do have some responsible gunowners out there, but they have politicized
this so much that the attention thatwe need to pay in terms of keeping
(06:24):
our children and our youth safe islost, you know, in that messaging
of politics and partisan politics, whenwe really should be concentrating on how we
can prevent this from happening. SoI would think there are some responsible gun
owners, but there are many outthere that are not, And therein lies
(06:45):
the problem, and therein lies thefour hundred children that we're seeing, you
know, being killed or harmed eachyear. When you hear of a child
or a person losing their life becauseof an unintentional shooting, what goes through
your mind? And that on apersonal level, and then also from your
years and experience in law enforcement.Two words preventable this could have been prevented,
(07:08):
This did not have to happen,and just anguish, you know,
just tragedy because when I hear aboutthem, I take it kind of personally.
I don't know the children. I'vesaid, this is a child,
this is a baby who will notlive their life. You know, they
will not have play time, theywill not go to prom they will not
grow up and have their own children. And I just start, you know,
(07:30):
thinking of it in that term.So it's very disturbing, and I
do kind of take it personally eachtime that I hear about it because I
know that whatever the case is,it could have been prevented. You know,
when I read the story, theysaid the child got the gun from
a nightstand, or they got itfrom under the bed, under the pillow.
We had a case here in Detroitmaybe a year or so ago,
(07:54):
think a five year old and soone came over to visit and they put
their gun on a table and theyput their hat on top of the table,
on top of the gun. Well, you know, the child reached
under there and got the gun andI believe shot another child. So is
this kind of careless ness that reallybothers me because I know this can be
(08:16):
prevented. This is one of thoseshootings, in one of those things that
we have an ability to prevent,and in that kind of situation, they
are more than just one family that'sinvolved in most of these, right,
there's the child who was lost intheir family, and then in instances where
the child is a perpetrator, theirchildren or their family too, who then
(08:37):
the parents or whoever is a gunowner possibly facing charges, but just the
whole situation really is tragic for anyand everyone involved. Do we really understand
the extent and the level of lossthat these kind of situations impart on our
families and on our communities. Idon't think we do, And I think
that's one of the reasons why it'svery important that we continue to message this
(09:01):
and we continue to talk about it, because this is a tragedy that affects,
you know, the entire family,It affects the community, It affects
the school. You know that someof these children are in schools or daycrees,
the teachers. I mean, it'svery widespread when these kinds of incidents
happen, so it kind of becomesa public health crisis. It's something that
(09:24):
all of us as a community shouldbe concerned about we have the mental anguish.
You know of this happening in somestates now the parents are now being
prosecuted. As we wrap up ourconversation with you today, Brenda, if
you would take a moment to speakto our listeners about the importance of securing
their firearms and keeping them out ofthe reach of children. And I say
this not so much as asking aquestion from a journalist's perspective, but really
(09:48):
just wanting to hear your heart unfilteredabout this issue and why it's so important
that we lock it and store itevery night, every day, however often
we have to to keep the outof the reach of our children. It's
you know, I've said so muchabout it so far, it's beginning to
sound like a broken record. Butthis is something that we can prevent.
(10:09):
And it's not a lot of thingsthat we can prevent around gun safety,
but this is one of them.So I want to look at this as
a call, not only a callto action. It's a matter of urgency.
We need to bring some urgency tothis because it's a crisis. We're
losing too many children and to theparents and guardians out there you are responsible
(10:31):
for your young people, for yourteens. Please lock up your gun,
Please store a gun, get agun locked, Get more information. The
important thing is that we save lives, We save children. Our research is
all ready shown that when we lockup our guns, when we store them,
when we keep them unloaded and locked, secured and not accessible, that
(10:56):
we do save life. And that'sabout all I can say that this is
something preventable. But it takes allof us working together, the community,
everyone putting this message out, andit is a matter of urgency. We've
gone past just having casual conversation aboutit. This is an urgent matter and
(11:18):
we need to take care of it, and we need to make sure that
our kids and our young people aresafe.
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