Bedford Safe Campaign - Gun Violence Prevention

Safe Homes Image

The Bedford Safe Campaign is a collaborative gun violence prevention campaign sponsored by the Bedford Police Department, the Bedford Health Department and the Bedford Board of Health who are joining together to protect our children, youth and families from gun violence injury and death in homes. We strive to accomplish this through community education, outreach and prevention programming.

Gift Cards for Guns

Bedford residents who would like to safely and securely dispose of unwanted firearms can contact the Bedford Police Department at 781-275-1212. The Police Department will direct residents on next steps and, once firearms are relinquished, provide a voucher for receipt of a Visa Gift Card from the Health Department. 

  • Residents who surrender 1, 2 or 3 firearms will receive a $100 Visa gift card.

  • Residents who surrender 4 or 5 firearms will receive $200 in Visa gift cards.

  • Residents who surrender 6 or more firearms will receive $300 in Visa gift cards.

  • BB guns/Airsoft guns and ammunition do not qualify for gift cards but can be turned in for disposal.

  • Gift cards will be provided while supplies last.

  • The Bedford Police Department will work with the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office and the Massachusetts State Police to safely destroy all guns that are relinquished.


Free Gun Locks Available!

Free Gun Locks are available at the Police Department at 2 Mudge Way, Bedford or in the Town Center Building (yellow building behind Town Hall), 12 Mudge Way, Bedford, second floor, outside the Flint Room. Securing firearms is the law and keeps our community safe.


Bedford Safe Campaign - Written Testimony in Support of House Bill S.397 and Senate Bill H.548 - joint acts to promote safe firearm storage education and increase the well-being of students.

Gun-related injuries are the #1 cause of death for children and teens ages 1-17, for the third straight year in a row. 

Many Americans think of gun-related issues as a topic with no common ground. Agree to Agree, a gun violence prevention initiative, presents research that shows we agree on more than we think. In fact, 82% of Americans agree that having more productive conversations can help reduce gun injury and death among children and teens. 

While gun-related issues can inspire passionate debate, we can all agree that gun-related injuries should not be the #1 cause of death among children and teens, that guns should be stored securely, that it’s normal to have conversations about preventing gun violence, and that we all have a role to play in keeping young people safe.

We don't have to live with gun violence as a normal part of American life.

  • Gun violence is a uniquely American public health crisis. 
  • Americans are 26x more likely to be shot and killed than in any other high-income country.
  • Roughly 47,000 Americans are killed each year by gun violence. Many other Americans are severely injured by gun violence.
  • The majority of gun deaths in the U.S. are suicides, followed by homicides.

Youth are most intensely impacted by gun violence.

  • Since the Columbine high school massacre in 1999, there have been over 390 school shootings, killing at least 203 students and injuring 441 students, educators, and other school staff. 
  • 8 kids a day are injured or killed as a result of unintentional gun violence.
  • There has been a 40% increase in gun suicide deaths in youths ages 10-17.

Gun-related suicides have reached an all-time high. 

Since 2019, there has been a 12% increase in the gun suicide death rate, with an increase in gun suicides each year. Last year, 27,032 people died by firearm suicide - the highest number recorded in American history. Alarmingly, there has been in a large increase in gun suicides among older teens and emerging adults (ages 18-19). Connecting those who are struggling with a mental health disorder to appropriate care is essential, whether in crisis or not. Please read below to learn about important resources to prevent death by suicide.

If you or someone you know is in crisis...

  • Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also chat with them online via their website, or text HOME to 741741 (multiple languages available). If this is an emergency, call 911. 
  • Call or text 833-773-2445 to reach the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Helpline for 24/7 for urgent care evaluation and connection to clinical services. They are also available at masshelpline.com

Town of Bedford Specific Mental Health and Social Services (NON CRISIS NUMBER):

  • The Town of Bedford Social Service Team is available to any Bedford resident, student of Bedford Public School, and/or anyone employed in the Town of Bedford. For a full listing of the services available visit our webpage detailing Bedford Specific Mental Health and Social Services.

If you have a firearm in your home, practice safer storage by (1) storing your firearm unloaded, (2) separately from ammunition, and (3) locked up, away, and out of sight. 

Safer Storage Guidance

FREE Gun Safety Kits Available in Bedford Locations

FREE Gun Safety Kits consisting of a lock and safety instructions are currently available at the following Bedford locations:

  • Police Department, 2 Mudge Way
  • Health Department, Town Center Building, 12 Mudge Way 
  • Council on Aging, Town Center Building, 12 Mudge Way
  • Free Public Library (Circulation Desk), 7 Mudge Way    Kids are Safest when guns are stored outside the home           

Ways to Return Unwanted Firearms

Bedford's Unwanted Gun Buyback Program

  • The Bedford Police Department has an ongoing gun buyback program, offered to Bedford residents.
  • If you have firearms, ammunition, or other weapons that you would like to dispose of, please notify the Bedford Police Department at 781-275-1212. A police officer will come to your location to pick up the item you wish to dispose of. Do not transport them to the police station yourself.
  • A payment will be made to you if you wish. 

Conversation Starters

Some people avoid talking about gun violence or safe storage practices they don't believe it will make a difference, they don't want to bring up a potentially awkward/uncomfortable topic, or they don't know how to bring the topic up in conversation.

Having conversations about gun violence and proper firearm storage protects children and teens from death and disability resulting from the use of an unsecured firearm. Children are curious and teens often enjoy sharing things with friends. These traits increase the risk of having a deadly consequence with an unsecured gun in the home.

The following guides offer tips and examples for having productive conversations about gun violence prevention strategies that work. Conversations like these can help people understand possible risks, motivate them to take action, and protect children and teens from gun violence.

Agree to Agree

Agree to Agree, a gun violence prevention initiative, has developed many helpful conversation guides around gun violence for all ages and roles. The Agree to Agree website has conversation starters for:

  • Parent/caregiver speaking to another parent/caregiver
  • Parent/caregiver speaking to a concerned adult
  • Parent/caregiver speaking to a child
  • Concerned adult speaking to another concerned adult
  • Concerned adult speaking to a parent/caregiver
  • Concerned adult speaking to a child

Brady Center

Led by survivors of gun violence, the Brady Center is the nation's oldest gun violence prevention group, spanning over the last five decades. Here are some conversation starters developed by the experts at the Brady Center.

  • Adult child to parent: Hi Dad, we’re setting up your room and looking forward to having you move in with us. Before you get here we’ll need to discuss some things, specifically around safety. I know you’ve owned guns in the past, do you currently? If so, we’ll need to discuss how we can safely store these so the kids cannot gain access.
  • Babysitter to parent: Hi Mrs. Hunter, this is Kelsey. I’m looking forward to babysitting Mark and Dylan tonight! I wanted to ask a few safety questions in preparation. Do the kids have any allergies? Who is the best person to contact in case of emergency? And, given the recent campaigns around preventing gun violence, I always ask if are there any unlocked guns in your home which I should be aware of.
  • Parent to parent (for a child going over for a playdate): Hi Sarah! Sam is so excited to come over to your house for a playdate with Oliver. I wanted to let you know that Sam has a peanut allergy so I’ve packed a snack for him. Also, he isn’t yet a confident swimmer, do you have a pool? And, given the recent campaigns around gun violence, we always ask if there are any unlocked guns in the home.
  • Roommate to roommate: Hey guys! It’s Steph, your soon to be new roomie. Before we move in, there are a few things I’d like to discuss safety-wise. What are your rules about allowing visitors to stay over? How about having my young niece and nephew over? Also, does anyone own a gun and plan on storing it at our place? If so, can we discuss how the gun will be safely stored?
  • Link to Brady Center website
  • PDF of conversation starters

Norwell Health - Center for Gun Violence Prevention

The Norwell Health Gun Violence Prevention Center investigates gun violence research and develops best practices for hospitals with the goal of dramatically reduce gun violence and therefore gun violence-related hospitalizations and death. 

Today Show

The Today Show developed a guide on how to ask someone in there are unlocked guns in the home. Here is a picture of a real-life text conversation between two parents prior to a playdate:

Screenshot 2025-04-23 113853

Bedford Health Department Conversation Starters

Conversation Starters for specific scenarios:

  • Parents/Guardians dropping their kids off for a playdate
  • Babysitter to Parent/Guardian
  • Care of an older family member
  • Parent/Guardian to Parent/Guardian
  • Roommate to Roommate
  • Adult Daughter to Father
  • Adult Child to Parents

Ask about fire arms before a play date

Project ChildSafe Resources

Gun Violence Risk Factors: Statistics and Research

Gun Violence in America: community-driven approaches to this local and national crisis featuring Dr. Peter Masiakos, Co-Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Gun Violence Prevention.

Massachusetts Laws and Guidance for Gun Ownership