Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch and Congressman Salud Carbajal are promoting the use of “red flag” gun laws.
Savrnoch and Carbajal hosted a webinar this month to explain the gun confiscation laws, which allow people to petition the courts for what are called gun violence restraining orders. If a judge deems someone a threat to themselves or others, the courts can temporarily confiscate any guns and ammunition in their possession.
A UC Davis study finds that since California passed its red flag gun laws in 2014, these restraining orders have deterred at least 58 potential mass shootings.
But that same study also found that most people do not know that gun violence restraining orders are an option.
Savrnoch said during the webinar that law enforcement plays a key role in alerting people they have the right to ask for gun violence restraining orders.
From a grassroots level, it would be up to law enforcement…to advise victims when we come in contact with [them],” Sarnoch said.
Opponents say these laws violate Second Amendment rights. Supporters say more has to be done to fight what Carbajal called the “epidemic” of gun violence.
President Biden signed Carbajal’s Extreme Risk Protection Act last summer, allocating $29 million to support California’s red flag laws.
The webinar is available here.
