MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA — Acting United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross announced that this week the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama is working with schools across the district to encourage students to participate in the Stand Against Firearm Endangerment (SAFE) Student Pledge. With a focus on keeping schools and communities safe, students in middle school and high school are signing a voluntary pledge promising that they will assume that any gun they see might be loaded, they will never take a gun to school, they will never resolve a dispute with a gun, and they will use their influence to prevent friends from using guns to resolve disputes. Elementary school children are making a similar commitment—pledging that they will not play with a gun and that, if they see a gun, they will not touch it and they will tell a teacher or a trusted adult. Students are making the SAFE Student Pledge this week in conjunction with the National Day of Concern for Young People and Gun Violence, which will be observed on October 18, 2023.
The SAFE Student Pledge recognizes the role young people play in reducing gun endangerment and violence by making responsible decisions. The pledge also seeks to foster discussions among students and their families about the necessity of gun safety and non-violent ways to resolve disputes.
“Each year, far too many lives are lost due to accidents and poor choices,” stated Acting United States Attorney Ross. “This initiative seeks to encourage young people to make responsible decisions and, as a result, cut down on the number of needless injuries and deaths.”
The United States Attorney’s Office reached out to schools in the Middle District of Alabama to make the pledges available. Schools or youth organizations may also participate in the SAFE Student Pledge throughout the year by visiting www.justice.gov/usao-mdal/safe-student-pledge and submitting a request.
The SAFE Student Pledge initiative is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a national program that has been historically successful in bringing together law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Schools participating in the SAFE Student Pledge this week are located in a variety of counties within the Middle District of Alabama, including Autauga, Chambers, Chilton, Coffee, Coosa, Elmore, Geneva, Henry, Macon, Montgomery, Pike, and Randolph.