BILLINGS — Gun violence is a constant battle for Billings. Last year, Billings Police Department reported nearly 200 weapons were stolen from vehicles and so far this year, 105 guns have been seized and recovered.
A new local business believes it may have a solution.
The business focuses on improving the opening of the gun lock box, which can mean the difference between life and death.
"You wake up in the middle of the night 'cuz you hear a noise, and you try to put a code. I don't care how simple it is, the studies show that you're not gonna get it and then once you miss it the first time, it goes to almost zero (percent chance of getting it the second time)," said Rob Johnson, the president and co-founder of Ultimate Defense Technologies.
Ultimate Defense Technologies (UDT) has created the "Spartan Guardian." It's a special type of lock box only accessible by RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology, the same technology that's likely in ID badges for work or school.
Johnson says that the device can be programmed to be unlocked with a key fob, watch wristband, or ring, whatever works best for the customer.
"So we made it very convenient in the sense that you can program things to open it how you want it and control it, but besides that, you're not getting into it," he said.
Johnson works alongside co-owner Neil Oakshott. They're originally from Arizona but moved to Montana this year after Gov. Greg Gianforte discovered their product at the SHOT gun show in Las Vegas.
Johnson and Oakshott were inspired to create the "Spartan Guardian" after Oaskshott's elderly neighbor accidentally shot herself with an unsecured firearm.
"Her husband had died the year before, and she was cleaning out the closet, and a bunch of sweaters, and there's something heavy in the closet, something started to fall and she went to grab it, ended up shooting herself in the foot with a gun she didn't even know her husband had," says Johnson.
The Billings Police Department says that although they can't endorse the product, they believe everyone should have firearms safely stowed away.
"So hopefully people will utilize... what's successful to them or what works for them... We're definitely advocates for any type of gun safety that you may have access to," said Lt. Matt Lennick with the Billings Police Department.
The "Spartan Guardian" retails for $489, but the creators say there's no price on your life.
"Our company pushes safety issues. This is safety. This isn't a gun business, and that's what we're after, to try to help people," said Dean Smith, UDT's Sale Manager.
