Red flag law takes guns from dangerous people. Why aren’t more California counties using it?

After a slow start, California courts granted gun violence restraining orders for 851 people last year, according to the state Justice Department. That was up from 257 in 2018 and fewer than 80 in 2016, the year the “red flag” law took effect.

Yet implementation remains regional, despite a long-running educational campaign by advocates who argue the restraining orders are a tool to prevent not just mass shootings, but also suicides and domestic violence, which account for far more firearms deaths. Nearly two-thirds of the 2020 cases came from just five counties — San Diego, Santa Clara, Orange, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz.

“We’ve got to do better,” said Marisa McKeown, a supervising deputy district attorney in Santa Clara County. “There are so many cases where this is the thing.”

The varied adoption of gun violence restraining orders in five counties across California demonstrates just how much the success of this law depends on the dedication of local officials. Read more >>>