Suffolk County, New York on Long Island has been strictly enforcing “red flag” laws that allow law enforcement officers to confiscate guns from people who are deemed threats to others or themselves, and doing so has had a positive impact on the community, a report by the New York Times shows.
One of the gun control regulations proposed by advocates including President Joe Biden to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people after a spate of mass shootings in the United States, red flag laws are opposed by people who depend on guns to define their existence, falsely claiming that it violates Constitutional rights of due process. (In fact, with most such laws, a judge issues a court order after hearing evidence.)
Since Suffolk County’s red flag law went into effect in 2019, more than 100 cases have been brought to seize firearms from people. Police and counselors credit the law for diffusing the danger of various situations.
