Firearms Industry Honors Fallen Officers; Donates $25,000 to Fraternal Order of Police Foundation

To: ALL MEDIA
For immediate release

August 11, 2015

For more information contact:

Mike Bazinet
203-426-1320

Firearms Industry Honors Fallen Officers; Donates $25,000 to Fraternal Order of
Police Foundation

NEWTOWN, Conn. — The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms industry, is honoring the nation’s fallen law enforcement officers by contributing $25,000 to the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Foundation. The donation was presented to FOP National President Chuck Canterbury today by NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane at the organization’s 62nd biennial national conference.

“The consistent strong support of the NSSF is invaluable in our effort to ensure that officers killed in the line of duty are never forgotten, and that their families are always cared for,” Canterbury said.

“Members of the firearms industry are proud to stand with the brave men and women of law enforcement across this great nation who everyday put their lives on the line to serve and protect our citizens,” said Keane. “As a former prosecutor and son of a New York City policeman, I am especially thankful for the opportunity to have our industry contribute to this most worthy cause.”

The ongoing professional relationship between law enforcement and NSSF members extends well beyond the purchasing of firearms, ammunition and related products. NSSF has long partnered with law enforcement on programs to curb the criminal acquisition and misuse of firearms and to encourage the safe handling and storage of firearms. Programs include:

• “Don’t Lie for the Other Guy”, the firearms industry’s anti-straw purchasing campaign that has both retailer education and public awareness components.
• NSSF’s matching rewards program with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those involved in thefts from firearms retailers.
• Project ChildSafe, which provides police departments with firearm safety kits for distribution in their communities. More than 39 million kits with a free firearm lock have been handed out through 15,000 law enforcement organizations.

Firearms manufacturers have long recognized the importance of giving back to the law enforcement community — a community that is an important and growing segment of the firearms industry market. The law enforcement segment of the NSSF-owned and sponsored Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show represents 28 percent of the show’s floor space at nearly 180,000 square feet. If the segment were broken out as a stand-alone show, it would be the largest law enforcement show in the country.

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About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 12,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, visit www.nssf.org.