Caffeinated Politics

I was pleased to see above the fold on the front page of my home county’s newspaper a story (albeit not written by staff but copied directly from the Wautoma Police Department, which is something I do not like to see) about a gun safety measure that merits attention. That police department is one of nine across the Badger State stepping up to address gun deaths and violence from gun owners.

The Live Today, Put It Away Program is built upon a straightforward idea: when someone is going through a mental health crisis or facing a dangerous situation, temporarily removing firearms from the home can prevent irreversible tragedy. It’s voluntary, confidential, and in Wisconsin, where guns are seemingly everywhere, the need for such a program is more than obvious. Law enforcement agencies that have implemented this program argue that this approach respects both safety and rights.

Places around the state that are using the program are the City of Delafield Police Department, Columbia County Sheriff’s Department, City of Prairie du Chien Police Department, Crawford Co. Sheriff’s Department, Village of Eagle Police Department, City of Lake Mills Police Department, Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office, City of Cedarburg Police Department, and the City of Wautoma Police Department

The program connects gun owners with trusted places such as the local police or sheriffs’ offices, where guns will be securely held at no cost until the crisis situation abates. The goal is simple and most needed in our gun-soaked culture. The actions of all the law enforcement agencies acting proactively are to be applauded.

What makes Live Today, Put It Away so compelling is that it doesn’t rely on fear or force. Instead, it invites people to take a responsible and reasoned step when they—or someone they love—are struggling with a mental crisis or other situation where a gun would pose grave danger. Family members can request temporary firearm storage. Individuals can walk on their own. These days, when some law enforcement seems to be on the opposite end of what people view as acting appropriately, this program proves the police can be a working partner and not an adversary.

From my desk, the winning argument for the program is that Live Today, Put It Away acknowledges that mental health crises are very much an issue in our country. It underscores that easy access to a firearm can have permanent consequences and that off-ramps are needed to stem deaths and violence that follow from having a gun. With the gun secured outside the home, suicide attempts drop. domestic violence situations de‑escalate, and families get time to breathe, regroup, and seek help.

Gun control conversations in America often collapse into political shouting matches. Live Today, Put It Away sidesteps that entirely. It doesn’t ask anyone to give up their rights. It doesn’t impose new laws. It simply offers a tool—a voluntary one—that can save lives.

If even one life is saved because a firearm was stored safely during a moment of crisis, the program is worth it. But the truth is, it will likely save far more than one. It will give families time. It will give individuals space to recover. It will give communities a chance to support their neighbors before tragedy strikes.

The Wautoma Police Department’s decision to embrace this program is a reminder that meaningful change doesn’t always come from sweeping legislation or national debates. Sometimes it comes from a simple, humane idea carried out by people who care.