Press Release: Councilwoman Emily Jabbour Proposes Expanding Safe Storage Law in Support of Gun Violence Awareness Day, June 6th

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, June 3, 2025

Councilwoman Emily Jabbour Proposes Expanding Safe Storage Law in Support of Gun Violence Awareness Day, June 6th

The New Jersey State Legislature has failed to update its secure storage law. Now it is time for municipalities to step in where the state has stalled. Hoboken Councilwoman Emily Jabbour is sponsoring an ordinance that would expand safe storage laws at the next City Council meeting on Wednesday, June 4. Currently New Jersey law requires storage of firearms only if a child or other person who is legally prohibited from having firearms resides in the household where the gun is kept.

The ordinance proposed by Councilwoman Jabbour builds on this requirement by requiring all gun owners to securely store their firearms when not under their immediate control, bringing local law up to the “gold standard” as it currently exists in other states including California, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Oregon.

“As we approach National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 6, I am recommitting myself to bringing attention and action to this life-saving issue,” Councilwoman Emily Jabbour, said. “Since guns continue to be the leading cause of death for children and youth in this country, we must continue to push for common sense legislation that will make our Hoboken community safer.”

Councilwoman Jabbour has been a strong advocate for gun safety legislation and founded the Hudson County Chapter of Moms Demand Action in 2016 after witnessing an active shooter drill in her daughter’s Pre-K classroom. Securely storing firearms has many benefits – it protects both children and adults by preventing unintentional shootings and gun suicides, and can also prevent gun violence at schools by reducing school-age children’s access to guns. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of guns are stolen each year, often ending up in the hands of people who are prohibited from having them – showing the importance of securely storing guns even in houses where children aren’t present.

“We have seen the tragic consequences of unsecured firearms far too often - especially when children are involved,” said Amy Faucher, leader of the Hudson County Chapter of Moms Demand Action. "These unintentional shootings spike during summer months, when kids are home more often. By passing a secure firearm storage ordinance, Hoboken is taking a critical step toward keeping families safe. We hope more communities across New Jersey will follow suit and put safety first.”

Moms Demand Action is a national grassroots movement of Americans fighting for public safety laws that protect people from gun violence. Moms Demand Action has chapters in every state and Washington DC, and is part of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country with nearly 11 million supporters.

For more information about Everytown and the efforts to ensure safe gun storage, please visit their website at: Secure Gun Storage | Everytown | Everytown