A new state law went into effect on the first of October that gives individuals and law enforcement the means to protect loved ones who are in crisis. Come learn how it works on Tuesday evening, October 30, at 7:00 pm at the Chestertown Universalist Church.
The Extreme Risk Protective Order is a tool that uses due process to remove guns from individuals in crisis, who are dangerous but may not meet the criteria for involuntary hospitalization.
Panelists:
- Adrian Baker, Chestertown Police Chief
- Cheryl Brooks, gun violence survivor and mental health nurse
- Bryan DiGregory, Deputy State’s Attorney, Kent County
- Yasmin Fletcher, attorney for Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
- Shannon Frattoroli, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health
The Marylanders to Prevent Gun violence (MPGV) Educational Fund works to inform the public about many aspects of gun violence prevention. This past legislative session, MPGV worked with other advocacy organizations and survivors of gun violence to pass the Extreme Risk Protective Order. As an advocate, MPGV works to ensure individuals are aware of the laws and policies available to them to help prevent gun violence.
According to the MPGV website, the Mission Statement is as follows:
“We’re working to reduce the number of senseless deaths that occur at the hands of guns through education and legislative advocacy. Our efforts are designed to challenge the culture of violence, influence public policy and encourage Marylanders to take action to make their state safer. Our primary focus is on the state of Maryland with an emphasis upon the shooting deaths and injuries that occur in urban Maryland. We are aware that the epidemic of gun violence extends beyond state lines and that many of the struggles Maryland faces is a direct result of neighboring states’ weak laws. We advocate on both the national and local levels for lifesaving gun violence prevention legislation, such as handgun purchaser licensing, to keep guns out of the hands of irresponsible and dangerous individuals. We also believe that legislation and education can save individuals at their most vulnerable times by preventing suicides.”
Tuesday, October 30, 2018, at 7 pm
Held at Unitarian Universalists of the Chester River
914 Gateway Drive, Chestertown
For additional information, contact:
Elizabeth Banach, 646-228-9053 [email protected]
Gren Whitman says
This important legislation will be a life-saver.
Had the new “ERPO” law been in effect in late September, four lives might have been spared in Aberdeen.
You’ll recall that mass shooting at the Rite Aid warehouse there.
Headline in the Baltimore Sun read, “Suspect’s health worried family.”
This is the sort of dangerous and deadly situation that “ERPO” is designed to prevent.