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Councilmember Kepple asked about a statistic shared in the Be SMART presentation related to <br />children with and without gun training having the same likelihood of playing with a gun. Ms. <br />Barley explained that even if a child is told not toplay with a gun, they will still be curious and <br />attempt to touch it. Councilmember Kepple and Ms. Barley agreed that telling a child to not play <br />with a gun is a last line of defense. <br />Councilmember Kepple suggested reaching out to the Lakewood Public Library for family <br />related programs and offered her help with coordination. Ms. Barley agreed that speaking at the <br />th <br />library could be beneficial, and she shared that their next monthly meeting is on April 4at the <br />Lakewood Public Library. <br />Ms. Ross conveyed the importance of normalizing conversations surrounding the topic of guns <br />and gun safety. <br />Councilmember Kepple asked about the inclusion of Be SMART as a resource on permits for <br />block parties. Mayor George explained that following Assistant Law Director Swallow’s advice, <br />the City has to be cautious about not promoting an organization’s logo on its website. Mayor <br />George suggested the utilization of Lakewood Police Department to speak about safe gun locks <br />and safe storage of guns at block parties and events. <br />Chair Baker suggested the use of early childcare centers and the Lakewood Family Room for Be <br />SMART to branch out and speak to grandparents and young families. <br />Councilmember Marx suggested the use of the Madison branch of the Lakewood Public Library <br />for accessibility to all Lakewood residents. <br />Ms. Barley expressed that these conversations will potentially be had at PTA meetings in the <br />Fall. <br />Councilmember Bullockindicatedthe difficulty of legal changes regarding consumer safety and <br />accountability. He expressed the importance of adults taking accountability and agreed that Be <br />SMART’s message matters. Councilmember Bullock suggested having these conversations at <br />picnics after sports games. <br />Councilmember Shachner highlighted the importance of education and organizations taking <br />action to prevent gun accidents. <br />Chair Baker asked what Be SMART’s official call to action is. Ms. Ross explained that their <br />current call to action is to schedule meetings. She shared the organization’s postcard and <br />expressed that they would be willing to conduct their 10 or 30 minute presentations at any <br />organization. <br />Be SMART member Marianne Crampton pointed out that what Be SMART is doing is unique to <br />Lakewood. Their approach is comprehensive and attempts to have organizations and parents <br />2 <br /> <br /> <br />