Keeping Communities Safe: A Look at Extreme Risk Protection Orders in Washington

In Washington State, there's a tool called Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs). These are like a pause button for folks who might be at risk of harming themselves or others with a gun. The idea is to temporarily take guns away from people who are in a dangerous spot. A recent study looked at how often people who got these orders were arrested for different crimes. They checked arrests before, during, and after the orders were in place. The study covered a lot of time, from when the orders started in 2016 until 2023. Here's what they found. Before the orders were issued, about 18% of people were arrested. That's not a lot, but it shows that something was already going on. During the time right around when the orders were issued, arrests went up. This makes sense because that's often when things are at their worst.After the orders were in place, arrests went down a bit. But they didn't go down as much as you might hope. This suggests that while ERPOs might help, they might not be enough on their own. The study also found that arrests for violent crimes and gun-related crimes followed a similar pattern. So, what does this all mean? It means that ERPOs are being used when people are already in a bad situation. But maybe there's more that can be done to help these folks. The orders might be a good starting point, but they might need to be part of a bigger plan to really make a difference.