By Dr Tonii Gedin, Anne Arundel County Health Officer and Skip Auld, CEO of Anne Arundel County Public Libraries.
Every day in Anne Arundel County, we work to build a safer, healthier and stronger community. Sometimes, that work takes the form of community health or educational programs. Other times, it looks like a simple, tangible tool: a cable gun lock.
We are incredibly proud to announce that our joint initiative between the Anne Arundel County Department of Health’s Gun Violence Intervention Team and the Anne Arundel County Public Library (AACPL) system has just reached a remarkable milestone. Together, as of mid-September, we have successfully distributed 12,143 free gun locks to our residents.
This milestone is built on a foundation of trust and collaboration that began during some of our community’s most challenging days. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Health and AACPL joined forces to distribute essential COVID-19 tests and masks to residents across the county. In fact, that crisis response is how the two of us first met. We saw firsthand how powerful it can be when public health expertise is paired with the accessibility and reach of our local libraries. We knew then that we could use the same model to tackle other critical health and safety issues.
When we launched this first-of-its-kind partnership in Maryland, our shared goal was straightforward: to increase gun safety, reduce unintentional injuries and save lives. The statistics tell a sobering story. Firearms are now the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States. Our 2025 data reveals a heartbreaking reality. In Anne Arundel County, 36 lives were lost to gun violence, including 12 homicides and 24 suicides.
At the Department of Health, we address gun violence through a public health lens. This initiative is fundamentally about prevention. Our goal is to work hand-in-hand with the community to ensure that firearms are kept as safe as possible in homes and family situations. A gun safety lock provides those critical, life-saving moments between impulse and action. By securely storing firearms, we can prevent heartbreaking unintentional shootings and reduce gun suicides.
Libraries may not be the first place people think of when discussing public health, but they are among the most trusted institutions in our communities. Every day, thousands of residents visit AACPL’s 16 branches not only to borrow books but to access technology, attend educational programs, receive job training, connect with social services and find reliable information. Libraries are uniquely positioned to meet people where they are — without barriers, stigma or judgment.
That is why bringing this public health program into our library branches made perfect sense. Any adult can walk into an Anne Arundel County library and request up to two gun locks at the service desk. There is no cost, no library card is required, and no proof of residency is needed.
This milestone would not have been possible without the dedication of our incredible library staff, who have integrated this vital service into their daily work. We want to give a special mention to Gloria Harberts, a dedicated member of the library team who has been absolutely instrumental to the success of this program. Gloria embodies the spirit of this partnership, proving that local heroes are often the ones quietly handing out the resources that save lives. We could not have reached this milestone without her and the team across the library system.
Reaching 12,000 gun locks is a monumental achievement, but our work is far from over. We encourage all gun owners in Anne Arundel County who have not yet secured their firearms to take advantage of this free resource. Stop by your local library or reach out to our community partners to pick up your locks today.
Together, we can continue to protect our children, our families, and our community.