WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw spoke to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee during a hearing on gun control and "red flag" laws, also known as Extreme Risk Protection Orders.
In Florida, Extreme Risk Protection Orders were enacted after the deadly mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018.
The shooting raised new concerns about gun control and mental illness. Sheriff Bradshaw said Tuesday this is a matter of prevention, not gun taking. He also said his office’s Behavioral Sciences Division can’t do it alone.
"I think the most important thing to realize is we cannot arrest our way out of this situation," Sheriff Bradshaw said.
So far, law enforcement in Palm Beach County has filed Risk Protection Orders against 28 people. 16 of those were from PBSO.
"Red flag" laws allow family members and law enforcement officers to ask a judge to temporarily ban a person from possessing weapons if they may be a danger to themselves or others.
Only 14 states and the District of Colombia have similar laws. Sheriff Bradshaw said there's no one solution to preventing mass violence.
"The firearms are one thing. But think about it, people are using, cars, knives, rocks, guns, pressure cookers," said Sheriff Bradshaw.
In response to the gun issue facing law enforcement, Florida State Sen. Lori Berman introduced a Home Safety bill this month. It would prohibit a person who owns a firearm from keeping it in a residence if there’s a reason that another person in the residence can’t own or possess a firearm.
"Family members would be able to go to court and ask to have a gun removed from someone that they worry is a danger to themselves or others," State Sen. Berman said.