When someone who is being abused leaves their abuser, they often find they are at a greater risk. The abused person sometimes gets a restraining order to keep the abuser away. Now some lawmakers say authorities ought to temporarily take away the abuserâs guns too. Democratic Representative Bob Hagan says the point at which an abused person leaves an abuser can be highly emotional. So heâs proposing a bill that would separate an aggressor from their firearms for a while. It would allow police to take the abuserâs gun at the point when they serve the protection order.
The goal of this legislation is to protect victims and potential victims of domestic violence and prevent intimate partner firearm deaths, not to infringe upon an individualâs second amendment rights. Thus when a protection order is lifted, any firearms held by local enforcement people will be promptly returned to the owner. In effect, this law would implement a cooling off period for those served a protection order.
Democratic State Representative Nickie Antonio says statistics prove this initial period of separation is when most women, in particular, are hurt most vulnerable. "Intimate partner violence alone affects more than 12,000,000 Americans every year. And women are impacted disproportionately," Antonio says. "One in 4 women have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner. According to federal statistics, intimate partner homicides account for nearly half of the women killed every year and more than half of these women are killed with a firearm. Thatâs stunning." Nancy Neylon with the Ohio Domestic Violence Network supports this legislation. She says it would protect women at a critical time. "One of the things that we know is that the most dangerous time for victims is when they are trying to get out of a domestic violence situation. "And as that happens, as they are going forward with criminal charges or trying to get a civil protection order. As they are trying to leave that situation, thatâs the time when the batterer is trying to increase their tactics of control. Thatâs the time that the threats occur, threats of 'If you leave me, I will kill you.' And that is an incredibly dangerous time." Jim Irvine with the Buckeye Firearms Association agrees thatâs a dangerous time but he doesnât agree with this bill and its cooling off period.
The gun really isnât the issue. Itâs the person who is committing the crime. Even if we could wipe all guns away, violent people are going to do violent things. Theyâll stab, theyâll beat, theyâll club. Look at the FBI murder stats. Weâve got over twice as many people who are killed with hammers and clubs than rifles. So we need to focus on the people and the violence and maybe the mental health aspect of this.
Irvine says taking guns away from people when they are served a restraining order would open law enforcement up to new problems. He says take gun collectors for example: they might have very expensive guns in their possession, guns that need special care that police agencies are unlikely to provide. "If we seize them and treat them like they do all other guns, they damage them. And they may do $10,000 worth of damage to a gun. And whoâs going to pay for that? Thereâs nothing in there for that. So the idea that the state can take your property and damage it when you havenât been convicted or had a day in court or even been charged with a crime, I think itâs a serious issue that needs to be dealt with." The bill is supported by Democrats in a Republican controlled legislature.