The Department of Justice (DOJ) unveiled plans on Saturday to launch a “National Extreme Risk Protection (ERPO) Resource Center” aimed at providing comprehensive training and resources for officials involved in implementing so-called red flag laws. These laws allow for the removal of firearms from individuals deemed to pose a risk to themselves or others.
According to the DOJ’s press release, the resource center will provide education for various professionals, including law enforcement officials, prosecutors, judges, clinicians, victim service providers, and behavioral health professionals. Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized that the center’s establishment aligns with the DOJ’s commitment to combating gun violence.
“The establishment of the Center is the latest example of the Justice Department’s work to use every tool provided by the landmark Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to protect communities from gun violence.” the Attorney General said.
Red flag laws have been a subject of debate among gun control advocates and critics alike. Typically initiated by concerned family members, friends, or colleagues reporting a perceived threat, these laws allow authorities to temporarily confiscate firearms from the reported individual. It also bars them from purchasing future firearms.
Critics argue that such measures undermine Second Amendment rights and deprive individuals of due process, as the decision to take a person’s firearm is typically made without the individual’s opportunity to defend themselves in court.
Currently, 21 states have enacted similar legal measures, but opposition from gun rights groups remains steadfast.
“So-called ‘Red Flag’ orders, or Emergency Risk Protection Orders, are designed to empower the government to confiscate Americans’ firearms without due process of law,” the NRA’s Institute for Legal Action argued back in 2022.
The center’s funding derives from a bipartisan gun control bill that was passed by Congress and signed into law in 2022. It was announced last February that the DOJ would be giving over $231 million to states to implement measures mirroring red flag laws.
