As politicians argue about gun legislation in light of the recent shooting in Uvalde, Texas, a Radnor-based gun manufacturer says the gun violence solution might be technological, not legislative, writes Steven Zeitchik for The Washington Post, as printed in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

A smart gun being rolled out at Radnor-based LodeStar Works checks for proof of ownership before the gun will fire. 

That wouldn’t have stopped the 18-year-old shooter at Uvalde who bought his AR-15 legally, but it would have worked against an illegal gun user, and it can help prevent teen suicides and accidents with someone else’s weapon.

Gareth Glaser, cofounder of LodeStar Works, believes LodeStar could prevent “a majority of school shootings since they are most often committed by underage teenagers with a gun found in the home.”

“We feel the time is right for smart guns. There’s a market for it, and there’s a great need for it,” he said.

LodeStar’s gun is expected to come out early next year.

In related news, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer announced Thursday that Delaware County has received $2 million from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to support gun violence prevention efforts in Chester.

Stollsteimer has been working with Chester police and the mayor’s office for two years to produce “concrete and demonstrable results” to reduce gun violence in the city. 

The Chester Partnership for Neighborhoods (CPSN) was launched in the Fall of 2020. The program uses a “carrot and stick” approach giving influential people involved in crime in Chester an ultimatum—“If you let us, we will help you; if you make us, we will stop you.”

Help could mean getting a suspended license reinstated or a present for someone’s daughter while they are in prison, or getting an offender into an educational or vocational program.

The program also uses enhanced intelligence gathering by law enforcement and continual sharing of information.

These efforts to date reduced shooting incidents 34% in 2021 in Chester, from 122 in 2020 to 80 in 2021. That’s the lowest number in five years.

2021 was also the highest year for “clearance” rates, or arrests made, in homicide cases in at least two decades, at 57%. There was a 38% overall drop in homicides in 2021 and a 44% decrease in gun violence homicides in Chester.

The grant will be used to promote community engagement with a year-round calendar of events for families and children in Chester. Funds will also pay for an illegal dumpsite cleanup and for additional police officers.

It will be managed by a program coordinator. Additional community resource specialists will also be hired, who will identify and support program participants. A case manager will evaluate and access the services needed by program participants.

 “This program is exactly the kind of initiative that the state wants to support – it has a proven record of success, and we expect that this funding will allow it to continue to grow,” said State Sen. John Kane.

Read more at The Philadelphia Inquirer about the smart gun.

Find out more about the gun violence prevention program in Chester.