Adams County Suicide Prevention Coalition working with QPD to raise awareness of gun safety, availability of gun locks

QUINCY — September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness of suicide and suicide prevention strategies and spread hope.  The Adams County Suicide Prevention Coalition is a coalition of human service organizations, area school personnel, and interested community citizens whose mission is to prevent the tragedy of suicide in our area. 

“In 2012 the U.S. Surgeon General issued a call to communities to address the rise in deaths by suicide in our country,” said Barbara Baker Chapin, director of development at Transitions, a licensed clinical professional counselor and chair of the coalition. “Transitions and Blessing Hospital came together to address this problem in our area.  Since then, membership in the coalition has grown.  The mission of the coalition is, very simply, to prevent the tragedy of suicide.”

The coalition has engaged in a variety of prevention initiatives through the years – PSAs on radio and TV, a Facebook page with current information related to suicide prevention, and a website with prevention resources.  The group has provided stickers with the National Suicide Hotline number on them to area students and funded prevention programs in area schools.  In addition, the coalition has a support group for people who have lost a loved one to suicide and provides information on grief/loss to families who have lost a loved one to suicide.  

The coalition now is partnering with the Quincy Police Department to urge gun safety and urge the use of gun locks when firearms are not in use. 

“Research indicates that more than 50 percent of all deaths by suicide are by firearms,” Chapin said. “We believe that if firearms are secured when not in use, we may be able to prevent suicides and/or accidental deaths with firearms.  We know that many in our area have firearms in the home … so we want to urge the use of gun locks and/or locked storage of firearms.  We know suicides may be prevented if we can remove the means an individual is considering to end their life and get him/her help.  Gun locks are one way to remove means if a loved one is considering suicide.  We then encourage getting the suicidal person help from a professional counselor.”

Richard Elsenpeter is the coordinator of the Together with Tri-State Veterans group, a veteran-led group that assists veterans and their families who are struggling. He supports the gun lock program. 

“In 2019, more than 6,000 veterans in our country died by suicide, over 165 in Illinois,” Elsenpeter said. “Our group wants to provide veterans and their families with help and support.  We believe the safe storage of firearms is one way to help reduce the risk of suicide. We hope that people in our area — civilians and veterans — will take advantage of this program.”   

The Quincy Police Department has gun locks available to the public at no cost. Anyone who would like a gun lock can walk in to the QPD at 530 Broadway and request one.

“All of us can prevent the tragedy of suicide by watching for the signs that someone may be thinking of suicide, reaching out to those who appear to be struggling with life problems, asking if a person has had thoughts of ending his/her life, and urging a person to get help if they are struggling,” Chapin said. “Using a gun lock and eliminating a firearm as a means a person may use to end his or her life is one more way we can prevent deaths by suicide.”