Prosecutors, State Legislators, and Law Enforcement Join Forces to Push for Common Sense Gun Laws

BOSTON - Prosecutors Against Gun Violence (PAGV), members of American State Legislators for Gun Violence Prevention (ASLGVP), and the Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence convened in New York at a national summit on gun violence prevention.

At the conclusion of the summit on Tuesday, April 4th, prosecutors, state legislators, and police will formally announce a multi-state effort to enact state legislation in two key areas:

• Proposals in 20 states to create Extreme Risk Protective Orders (ERPO), which enable family and law enforcement to prevent gun tragedies by petitioning a court to temporarily restrict access to firearms for individuals who are at risk of hurting themselves or others.
• Bill sin 5 states to enact stronger laws aimed at removing guns from domestic abusers.

Both of these initiatives are based on strong empirical evidence from experts in gun violence and public health regarding circumstances that lead to a heightened risk of gun violence, and practical steps that can be taken to prevent it.

The 20 states included in today's announcement of new proposed ERPO legislation include: Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wyoming.

Extreme Risk Protective Orders, which focus on individuals who are exhibiting dangerous behavior, have been enacted in various forms in four states. They have been demonstrated to be an effective means of temporarily preventing people in crisis from having access to guns, while respecting rights to due process. Family members and loved ones are often the first to know if someone is experiencing a crisis and may be at risk of dangerous behavior. Even if they report their fears to law enforcement, police in most states may not have the authority to intervene, resulting in preventable tragedies.

In 2014, California became the first state in the nation to enact a law empowering family members as well as law enforcement to request that a judge issue an ERPO based on evidence that a person is at risk of harming him- or herself, or others. In 2016, Washington State enacted a similar measure through ballot initiative. Legislation allowing law enforcement to seek a court order has been on the books for years in Indiana and Connecticut. Researchers have demonstrated that Connecticut's law has led to measurable reduction in suicides.

In recent years, many states have also focused increasingly on the particular dangers posed by guns in domestic violence incidents - including a 500% increase in the risk the victim of abuse will be killed, and many have already enacted stronger laws.

"While there is not one solution to reducing gun violence, there are a lot of common-sense steps that we can take to significantly reduce gun violence, and I believe that this legislation plays a vital role in the process," said Representative David Linsky (D-Natick). "Life can present unexpected challenges and removing firearms during a crisis is an important step in helping to prevent individuals from hurting themselves or others."

American State Legislators for Gun Violence Prevention, founded in December 2014, is an independent nonpartisan coalition comprised of hundreds of members of the legislatures in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. The group includes representatives of urban, suburban, and rural areas, who have come together in recognition of the unique role state legislators must play in preventing gun violence. ASLGVP members represent diverse perspectives based upon their own experiences and the needs of their respective districts and states, and do not seek to craft a one-size-fits-all agenda for all state. They share a common commitment to learning from each other and developing strategies for reducing gun violence that will be most effective in their districts, states, and regions, and the nation as a whole.

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For More Information: Abigail Silverman (617) 722-2575