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Politics Aug 08, 2023
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The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors began a public outreach campaign Tuesday aimed at expanding the use of gun violence restraining orders, which can prevent firearm purchases and ownership by people deemed by a judge to be a danger of harming themselves or others.
The board earlier this year directed its staff to develop a plan for increasing public awareness of the orders, which Supervisors Janice Hahn and Hilda Solis contended in a motion are highly underutilized in the county. The motion notes that in 2022, only 66 such restraining orders were issued in the county, and only one of those was initiated by a non-law-enforcement party.
During the same year, more than 400 gun violence restraining orders were issued in San Diego County, which has only one-third the population of Los Angeles County, according to the motion.
The board on Tuesday unanimously approved public-outreach recommendations that were developed by the Department of Public Health’s Office of Violence Prevention, which will oversee the awareness campaign.
“This includes beginning the public awareness campaign by launching a website and disseminating information about GVROs; collecting, synthesizing, and publicly sharing existing data on GVROs; advocating for better access to accurate data from the courts and law enforcement; and providing training on GVROs that support both law enforcement and public access,” according to the motion approved by the board Tuesday. “The motion also directs the Chief Executive Office to collaborate with OVP, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and County Counsel to identify funding options for the additional recommendations laid out in the report that would increase the reach of the public awareness campaign and provide dedicated individuals to support members of the public who are seeking a GVRO.
“The process to petition for a GVRO can be very challenging and the decision to pursue one is not to be taken lightly, so having dedicated personnel housed in OVP to help navigate that system would be very beneficial,” the motion states.
The county’s website went live Tuesday at publichealth.lacounty.gov/ovp/GVROs.htm.
A 2016 state law allows certain people — including police, family members, domestic partners, housemates and school officials — to petition a court for a gun violence restraining order. Such an order mandates that the subject of the petition who is deemed a threat to themselves or others be stripped of firearms and ammunition for up to five years. The law also prohibits anyone subject to a GVRO from purchasing weapons and ammunition, including those who do not currently possess guns.
“Gun violence is an epidemic that has taken too many lives and continues to plague too many communities,” according to the board motion. “The board has taken multiple steps to combat this epidemic from all angles, including strengthening local gun regulations, advocating for stronger federal and state regulations, investing in community-based violence prevention programs, holding gun buy-back events, and creating various risk assessment and co-response programs.
“Another way that the board can fight gun violence is to spread awareness and improve access to Gun Violence Restraining Orders under California’s ‘red flag’ law. This is a vastly underutilized tool that can help save lives, so it is time for Los Angeles County to ensure that its residents are aware of this tool and have access to it when needed.”
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