CALAIS – The Calais and Baileyville police departments on Wednesday joined the statewide gun safety lock giveaway program sponsored by the Maine Citizens Against Handgun Violence Foundation in Portland.

Trigger locks, along with a gun safety information sheet, now are available free from both police departments.

The locks are universal in style, designed to fit most handguns, rifles and shotguns. They are keyed locks made of high-quality die-cast construction with rubber gaskets. They are small and easy to use.

Baileyville Police Chief Philip Harriman, who is a member of the board of directors for the Maine Police Chiefs Association, said he learned about the program last year and notified the police chiefs in Washington County that there were a limited number of gun locks available.

“I wanted to see if there was any interest, and it was up to them to make contact,” he said

He said he and Calais police Chief Michael Milburn decided to participate in the program. The two chiefs shared a box of 60 gun locks and they said they plan to issue one gun lock per family and on a first-come, first-served basis.

“The main thing to remember,” Harriman said, “is that you don’t use a gun lock on a loaded weapon. You should use the gun lock in combination with an unloaded weapon. It is not a substitute for keeping a loaded weapon in the home. It’s just an extra safety feature.”

The gun locks are available to the public.

“This is important for the safety of the individuals and children in the home,” Milburn said. The chief said all a Calais resident would need to do is ask for a gun lock. He said they do not have to bring the gun in, nor do they have to disclose what type of gun they have. He said anyone who would like to have a free trigger lock should contact him.

Milburn suggested that parents should consider using the gun locks on firearms popular with youngsters, such as BB and pellet guns. “I would think it would fit those types of guns also. Although a person may not be killed with one of those guns, they may [cause] serious bodily injury,” he said.

The chiefs said although they have only 60 gun locks to distribute, there may be other grants to fund similar programs.

Harriman said he was considering including a request for gun locks in his budget. “It seems like it goes hand in hand. If we are going to give out weapons permits, then maybe we should be giving out safety items as well,” Harriman said.

Milburn agreed that it would be good to include gun locks in his budget, but he was concerned about the cost. “If you ended up putting it in your budget and you ordered a thousand, that would be a substantial item in your budget,” he said. The chief estimated that nearly 80 percent of all households in Washington County have some type of gun.

In addition to the gun locks, the two police departments are handing out an information sheet titled “Locked Guns Saves Lives.” Some of the safety tips:

. Lock and store bullets in a separate location from guns.

. Keep guns out of sight and reach of children.

. Make sure keys to gun cabinets are inaccessible to children.

. Ask if there are unlocked guns in homes where your children play.

. Educate your children to treat firearms as loaded and dangerous; tell them that when they see a gun, they should stop, not touch, run from the area, and tell an adult right away.

. If your child is known to be suicidal, remove all guns from your home.