Assemblymember Johnathan G. Jacobson (D-Newburgh) announced that a bill he co-sponsored to keep our families and communities safe from needless and senseless gun violence was signed into law (Chap. 19 of 2019) this week.

The Red Flag Bill, also known as the Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) Act, prevents individuals who show signs of being a threat to themselves or others from purchasing or possessing firearms.

“This is a reasonable, common sense gun-safety legislation,” Assemblymember Jonathan Jacobson (D-Newburgh) said. “We don’t need another shooting at a school to tell us that dangerous people should not be allowed to buy guns. We say enough to the carnage that has devastated families with the loss of a loved one caused by senseless gun violence.”

This legislation builds on New York’s strong laws and makes New York the first in the United States to empower its teachers and school administrators to prevent school shootings by pursuing court intervention. Connecticut, California, Washington, Oregon and Indiana also have Red Flag Laws. [1]

The Red Flag Bill provides procedural safeguards to ensure that no firearm is removed without due process while ensuring that tragedies, like the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, are not repeated. More than half of all perpetrators of mass shootings exhibit warning signs before the shooting, according to a recent analysis. In that incident, an extreme risk protection order could have prevented needless deaths. [2]

In addition, a study led by researchers from Duke University found that Extreme Risk Protection Orders in Connecticut led to a decrease in that state’s suicide rate. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention states that on average one New Yorker dies every five hours from suicide. The third-leading cause of death for students 15-24 and fourth-leading cause of death for children aged 10-14 in New York is suicide. [3] Firearms and guns result in 66% of all gun deaths and 50% of all suicides in the United States. [4]

“The goal is to get the firearms away from dangerous people to prevent needless tragedies, and in the process, enhance everyone’s safety,” Assemblymember Jacobson said.

[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/five-states-allow-guns-to-be-seized-before-someone-can-commit-violence/2018/02/16/78ee4cc8-128c-11e8-9570-29c9830535e5_story.html?utm_term=.df5311c1ae74

[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/five-states-allow-guns-to-be-seized-before-someone-can-commit-violence/2018/02/16/78ee4cc8-128c-11e8-9570-29c9830535e5_story.html?utm_term=.df5311c1ae74

[3] https://everytownresearch.org/reports/disrupting-access/?source=mdmo_MomsHomepage&utm_source=md_m_&utm_medium=_o&utm_campaign=MomsHomepage

[4] New-York-Facts-2017-4.pdf