A new published work authored by an expert at Johns Hopkins University emphasized how red flag laws may lower the risk of gun violence in America.
The work touts the potential effectiveness of temporarily restricting access to firearms as part of extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs).
“Extreme risk protection orders are a civil option for when someone is behaving dangerously and at risk of committing violence,” according to one expert on gun violence affiliated with Johns Hopkins. “This is an opportunity to intervene before a crime happens.”
“While more research is needed, early research is promising. In Connecticut, ERPOs provided a portal to treatment for about a third of respondents. And a review of ERPO cases in California and King County, Washington, shows that ERPOs have been issued when people are planning mass shootings,” the author explained in a news release.
“In states where these laws are in place, it is critical to ensure that this important policy is known and used so violence can be stopped before it happens.”
The publication can be read by clicking here.
