In a move to amplify gun safety in the Lone Star state, Texas has initiated a substantial billboard campaign to promote responsible firearm storage. Dubbed "Keep 'Em Safe," the campaign from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is set to spread its message across digital billboards in more than 70 Texas cities, according to FOX San Antonio. The beacons of caution will take their perch this Thursday at 10:30 p.m. near San Antonio's Pearl district, ushering in a year-long initiative to keep firearms from falling into unauthorized hands.
Parallel to this statewide effort, Bexar County Commissioners Court has recently been at the center of a financial tug of war involving nearly $1 million for a similar gun safety awareness crusade. A reported 3-2 vote approved a $900,000 contract with Texas Creative for countywide outreach on gun safety, despite some opposition from community nonprofits longing for a deeper funding pool. County Commissioners Grant Moody and Tommy Calvert cast the dissenting votes in the heated decision, as Express News reported.
The approved contract allocates $450,000 for paid media components, featuring ads tailored to gun owners, especially those with children. Half of this hefty sum would finance Facebook, YouTube ads, and other door-to-door educational materials. In contrast, non-profits, aspiring for a piece of the pie, managed to secure $270,000 for mini-grants. Bennie Price, the founder and CEO of Big Mama's Safe House, criticized the diluted funding, saying, "It's basically pennies," in a statement obtained by Express News. His organization, which concentrates on gang intervention and prevention for youths, hopes for at least $100,000 to advance its mission.
At a Commissioners Court meeting on January 23, nearly 20 residents made vocal pushes for an alternative path to the advertising campaign. Addressing his colleagues, County Commissioner Tommy Calvert attempted unsuccessfully to divert an entire $900,000 of federal coronavirus relief funds toward local groups dedicated to preventing gun violence, instead of the approved partitioning. “An advertising campaign cannot penetrate the culture of gun violence in our community,” Bennie Price told Express News.
While advertising firms and non-profits continue to exchange fire over funding and methodologies, Texas Creative is set to spearhead the paid media campaign and manage the grant dispensation. County Judge Peter Sakai acknowledged there isn't a single solution for gun safety, stating, “We need to keep working hard to find the solutions based on evidence,” as recorded by Express News. With a strategy informed by focus groups, University Health, and national research, the firm will tackle both public education and collaboration with county commissioners and the public information officer in handling grant allocation.
Navigating a tense climate, Janie Gonzalez, owner of Webhead, expressed frustration over leaked proprietary information from the contract bidding process, emphasizing the importance of a trust-based partnership between companies and nonprofits. As tensions run high in the face of communal strife and fiscal debate, the overarching goal of enhanced gun safety hangs in the balance, inviting introspection and collaboration amongst the stalwarts of community welfare and advertising alike.
