Eddie Eagle with Highland Park Elementary Students

State Law Enforcement Organization to visit with schools on gun safety awareness     

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, ------ On Wednesday September 12, 2007, the Oklahoma Chapter, National Organization Of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) will be visiting Highland Park Elementary School located at 5301 S. Dimple to speak with children in pre-K-through third grade about four important steps to take if they see a gun. “STOP! DON’T TOUCH, LEAVE THE AREA, TELL AN ADULT.  

Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry has proclaimed September 11, 2007 to September 17, 2007 as CHILDREN GUN SAFETY WEEK, Virgil L. Green Sr. is the Oklahoma Chapter president, as well as the Chief of police with the Boley Police Department, he recently stated there is a need to for a program such as Eddie Eagle to be shared with Oklahoma school children.   Chief Green pointed out to several incidents that have taken place within the Oklahoma City area this past year where children were playing and a gun was found and these children lost there lives.

Recent data shows the state of Oklahoma, is among the top twenty states in the United States when it comes to children involved in firearm related deaths.   Information released by the Oklahoma State Department of Health in 2004, showed there were 94 child violent deaths.   Chief Green stated about 40% of Americans households with children have firearms in the home.   There is a lot of work that still needs to be done to educate parents when they have firearms inside the home, how they should store there firearms.

Storage and accessibility, are two major concerns, if parents take the time to take these two key steps more children lives will be saved.   That is why the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives ( NOBLE) which is the largest African American Law Enforcement Organization with over 3,500 members in the United States, have adopted   this program to be apart of one of our community outreach programs.

Chief Green stated the program nor instructors make no value judgments about firearms, and no firearms are ever used in the program.   Eddie Eagle is never shown touching a firearm and he does not promote firearm ownership or use.   The Eddie Eagle program has no agenda other than accident prevention, ensuring that children stay safe should they encounter a gun.