New Ground in Gun Control Issues
There has been a lot of press recently concerning laws on firearms possession by Domestic Violence offenders. The coverage has been seemingly prompted by the State of Washington enacting a law which requires offenders under protective orders surrender their firearms to the authorities. This concept, within the movement to end violence against women, certainly isn’t new; what is new here is that after 10 years of fighting the legislation, the NRA has backed down from their opposition.
According to Georgia’s 10th Annual Domestic Violence Fatality Review Project findings: “Greater than all other methods combined, firearms have been the leading cause of death for victims in both cases we tracked statewide (72%) and cases that were reviewed (56%). This finding indicates the urgent need to use all legal means possible to remove firearms from the hands of Domestic Violence perpetrators.”
As we strive to increase victim safety, we must also stay focused on some of the barriers. The NRA and its strong lobby, for example, still maintain opposition to expanded background checks and including crimes such as stalking in the definition of Domestic Violence, thus decreasing potential protections afforded to victims.
Offenders who have been convicted of misdemeanor Domestic Violence crimes and those subject to a qualifying Temporary Protective Order are restricted from possessing firearms and ammunition under Federal law and a violation of either of those provisions of the Gun Control Act carries a maximum period of incarceration for 10 years. Many states have enacted clarifying legislation to aide enforcement of Federal law, but Georgia is not among them.
Here at CFVC, we make every effort to discuss the increased danger that firearms pose to victims as we safety plan with them and we strive to incorporate strict protective language pertaining to firearms in the Temporary Protective Orders we obtain with victims, but there is still work to be done! We will be keeping our eyes on the news for more on this subject and continue to look for ways to make our voices heard on increasing protections for victims and measures of accountability for abusers.