A sweeping study released this week found that public knowledge of Extreme Risk Protection Order laws, and public attitudes toward their implementation, is crucial to how effective and expansive they are. Sometimes referred to as “red flag” laws, ERPOs work to prevent gun tragedies by allowing law enforcement, family members, or friends to petition courts for a civil order to temporarily separate people in crisis from access to firearms.
The study was undertaken by the Ad Council Research Institute and published in conjunction with the institute’s public messaging campaign, begun in August 2018, on safe storage. Among its findings is that more effective communication about how these laws work can help keep communities safe from gun violence…