Skip Maine state header navigation

Agencies | Online Services | Help

Skip First Level Navigation | Skip All Navigation

Home > About Suicide > Lethal Means > Questions about Removing Firearms

Lethal Means: Questions about Removing Firearms

A lethal weapon available to a person in the depths of despair can end a life in an instant! Firearms are used in five out of ten suicides in Maine. Removing lethal means around a vulnerable person, especially a youth, is like not giving the car keys to a person who has had too much to drink.

Who Can Help Dispose Of A Firearm?

  • First, call your local police department, sheriff or state police.
  • Identify yourself and explain your concern.
  • Ask for the Officer on Duty; be sure to write down his/her name and the department’s name.
  • Arrange with the officer a time and location for him/her to pick up the firearm.
  • Do Not bring the firearm to the police department, unless told to by the Officer on Duty.

Does The Firearm Need To Be Ready To Go In A Certain Way?

  • If you know how to safely unload the firearm, unload it.
  • If you do not know how to unload the firearm, tell the Officer before he/she arrives to pick it up.
  • If the Officer asks you to bring the firearm to the police station, name who will bring it, what the person looks like and the time the person will arrive. 

What Happens To The Firearm?

  • The gun owner and the Officer will complete some paperwork.
  • The police department will store the firearm.
  • If desired, the firearm will be returned at a later date at the request of the owner.

What If The Gun Owner Does Not Want To Involve Law Enforcement in the Disposal of the Firearm?

  • Remove the firearm from the house and store it elsewhere. This may be the home of a family member or a trusted friend. Be sure the person at risk cannot get the firearm before or after it is removed.
  • Lock the unloaded firearm in a gun safe or storage box. Trigger locks are sold in sporting goods stores and where firearms are sold. Some police departments offer free locks. Be sure the keys and storage box combinations are kept away from the person at risk. Remember: This does not guarantee safety.
  • Do not place the firearm in a bank safe deposit box. Most states have laws that prohibit carrying a weapon into federally insured buildings such as banks.
  • Sell the firearm following the appropriate legal guidelines.

What if a Family Member of a Suicidal Youth has to Carry a Firearm as Part of the Job?

  • Remove all the firearms but the one required for work. The person responsible for the firearm must keep it in his/her possession.
  • Remember: Using locking devices or locked storage does not guarantee absolute safety, but does present a barrier to an impulsive act.