It all fails with enforcement. There are a ton of laws on the books for that shit. Letting that mom off the hook just tells everyone else that they can be lax. It didn't start with her screwing up. It's been going on for decades. Hell, I keep my stuff locked up even though the youngest son is almost 30 YO. I'm not worried about my family shooting each other, but about people other than them potentially stealing them. I have a 500 pound safe to hold them. It was a bitch for my other son and me to get into position in the house. There isn't a crack head that'll be able to move it, what with it being anchored to the floor, and the anchors only accessible when the door is open.
If you get to thinking you’re a person of some influence, try ordering somebody else’s dog around.