Santa Clara County authorities raise awareness about gun violence restraining orders
Santa Clara County authorities hope new PSA will raise awareness about gun violence restraining orders
A new public service announcement is aimed at removing guns from the hands of children, those contemplating suicide, and potential mass shooters. It was created by the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office along with the San Jose Police Department. They're hoping to raise awareness of gun violence restraining laws and how to use them.
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. - Don't wait until it's too late, when it comes to guns. That's the message authorities in Santa Clara County want you to hear.
"If you know someone that has a gun and is threatening to hurt themselves or others, please call 911," says DD Dunn, a dispatcher with SJPD.
They're pushing out this public service announcement in four languages, airing it in movie theaters and community meetings in an effort to educate the public.
They say many people don't know about gun violence restraining orders, or red flag laws.
These allow authorities to remove guns from a home on an emergency basis.
"We will work and investigate very quickly. I'm talking about within hours. Very quickly. And if we determine that the person poses a risk to himself or others, we will remove those guns immediately," says Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen.
A hearing then determines whether the guns are returned, or kept for an extended period.
In Santa Clara County, the District Attorney's office filed more "GVROs" last year than any other county, and more than all the other Bay Area counties combined.
"Last year we filed 683 gun violence restraining orders, so almost two a day in this county. And that's helped us stop mass shootings, domestic violence shootings, child suicides, teen suicides, all kinds of gun violence," says Rosen.
This PSA comes at a time when gun violence is top of mind on a national level, with school shootings, and the death of a public figure in the last week. Authorities want more people to know they can take action before an emergency happens.
"I think it's wonderful. I think it's something every county should be doing," says Sharon Genkin, CA State Co-Chapter Lead with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
Genkin lost her sister to suicide with a gun. Now she advocates with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. She's hopeful this message will reach more people and save more lives.
"I firmly believe that education is the key, that the more people that know about these options, the more likely we are to keep people safe and to reduce gun violence," she says.
The public service announcement will be shown at community events and run in movie theaters for the next four weeks.
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