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Learn how to improve collaboration among federal, state, and local agencies to enforce laws prohibiting domestic violence offenders from owning firearms. Explore the success story of Spokane police in implementing effective strategies for firearm surrender.
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ENHANCING EXISTING PARTNERSHIPS TO HOLD DANGEROUS ABUSERS ACCOUNTABLE The Mechanics of Implementing Firearms Surrender Jordan Ferguson, spokane police department BWJP 2019
Like licorice and root beer, a bad metaphor is really hard to forget Back to castles The typical law enforcement response to DV is like building a sand castle.
Without collaboration It’s as if we were never there
With collaboration we can make a life-long, even generational effect
Extremes and commonalities Federal State and Local • Federal law prohibits possession of firearms by Domestic Violence offenders because they are a specific group of individuals demonstrated to be untrustworthy with firearms • Varies • Resources: www.preventdvgunviolence.org • www.disarmdv.org
Our Story • Anyone Had that older sibling that everybody thinks is perfect? • We do: • Spokane vs. Seattle
New Seattle-King County task force makes gun laws work From the headlines (Seattle Times, March 2018)
Spokane • Same state laws • Same flawed system that trusts the offenders to comply • Collaboration in a family justice center • Working closely with community based advocates (based on trust) • Utilizing the lAP (lethality Assessment Program) question #4 • Utilizing the focused deterrence model
spokane • Officers are identifying DV offenders for focused deterrence • Screening reports and LAP for mention of guns • Generate an Alert to the prosecutors before first appearance • Prosecutors using the firearms and lack of compliance to identify a higher risk • Judges using risk to the victim/community to set higher bonds • Tripled the number of guns surrendered the first year
highlights • Trauma informed interviews aren’t just for the victims • Defendants have surrendered firearms with out being ordered • Prosecutors are not accepting pleas without firearm surrender • Creative discussions “off the record” • More inter-agency discussion and cooperation
Highlights • Without a “task force”, • Or a large budget Collaboration has increased the number of firearms surrendered.