David Trahan, executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, said he does not favor a state law requiring firearms to be locked in a home when not in use.
“Firearms in the home are for personal protection,” Trahan said. “If it’s locked up in a gun cabinet at 2 in the morning, you’ve placed a barrier to getting access to that firearm.”
Trahan is also critical of gun locks, which he said can be knocked off a firearm and are less safe than lock boxes or gun safes.
Trahan has advocated for a state-sponsored tax credit to help Maine residents pay for gun safes, which he said is a more feasible option than mandating locking firearms, which he said would be unwieldy and difficult to enforce.
“We’re not ready to go down that road,” Trahan said. “I think it would be extremely expensive; it would be a huge mandate. It’s too far over the top, particularly when you can do this through public education and incentives.”
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