A free gun lock program was launched in Philadelphia on Thursday to promote gun safety throughout the city. The initiative is a joint effort by the Sheriff’s Office and City Council President Darrell Clarke.

According to 6abc.com, the gun locks will be available at Philadelphia City Hall and will be distributed this summer. The gun locks contain cables that can be threaded through unloaded firearms to prevent weapons from firing.

"There were more than two hundred individuals who lost their lives as a result of getting access to weapons last year,” Clarke said, according to 6abc.

“Gun locks add an additional step, an additional thought, an additional action that may prevent someone from doing something that they may regret for the rest of their life,” Councilman Curtis Jones said in a statement.