XPost: alt.politics.usa.constitution.gun-rights, alt.government.employees,   
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   XPost: sac.politics, talk.politics.guns   
   From: yourdime@outlook.com   
      
   When 'red flag' laws first started popping up around the country,   
   supporters claimed that these Extreme Risk Protection Orders would be   
   rarely used, and only in the most serious cases involving individuals who   
   posed a danger to themselves or others.   
      
   As more and more states have adopted these laws, though, anti-gunners have   
   made it clear that they want to see as many ERPOs filed as possible. The   
   Minneapolis Star Tribune, for example, just ran a big series on the   
   state's red flag law that took issue with the fact that the law has yet to   
   be used in many counties. A lack of "red flag" petitions isn't seen as a   
   good thing. It's a red flag of its own.   
      
   Another example of this is playing out in Colorado, where the state's "red   
   flag" law was expanded back in 2023 to allow more individuals to file   
   petitions. Teachers can now file petitions directly instead of going to   
   law enforcement, school officials, or the parent of a student, but   
   Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser says not many have done so. Now his   
   office is offering "training" to educators that encourages them to file   
   petitions whenever possible.   
      
   “Obviously the events of Evergreen are top of mind today,” Weiser said.   
   “But it’s sadly one painful story after another that schools and   
   schoolkids have seen too much gun violence.   
      
   “When young people are struggling [or] contemplating suicide and make   
   statements like, ‘I know where my dad keeps the gun’ or ‘I have access to   
   a gun and I’m going to take my life,’ that’s a call to action. It’s   
   important we use all the tools we can to prevent gun violence.”   
      
   Gun violence is the leading cause of death among youth. In 2023, 21% of   
   Colorado middle school students reported that they could get a loaded gun   
   in less than an hour without adult permission, according to the results of   
   the statewide Healthy Kids Colorado survey.   
      
   The training, called the ERPO Curriculum for Educators, consists of two   
   30-minute virtual sessions. The first session goes over the basics of   
   Extreme Risk Protection Orders, or ERPOs.   
      
   ERPOs allow law enforcement to confiscate a person’s firearms for up to a   
   year if a judge determines that the person poses a danger to themselves or   
   others. The second training session provides step-by-step instructions on   
   how to petition the court for such an order. In addition to educators, a   
   person’s family or household members, law enforcement officers, medical   
   and mental health providers, and district attorneys can petition for an   
   ERPO.   
      
   There's an obvious reason why teachers haven't filed a lot of "red flag"   
   petitions; juveniles who aren't old enough to legally purchase or possess   
   a firearm aren't going to be impacted by an order that prohibits them from   
   buying or possessing a gun. As far as I can tell, when juveniles are   
   subject to an Extreme Risk Protection Order, that doesn't bar their parent   
   or guardian from continuing to possess firearms. The ERPO statute reads in   
   part that petitioners must "Identify the number, types, and locations of   
   any firearms the petitioner believes to be in the respondent's current   
   ownership, possession, custody, or control."   
      
   There's no language in the statute about the respondent's parent or   
   guardian's guns, so when Weiser insinuates that the use of these "red   
   flag" laws can stop a juvenile from accessing their mom or dad's gun, I   
   don't think that's accurate.   
      
   The "red flag" law also makes it very clear that the subject of an ERPO   
   petition must be the one exhibiting signs of danger to themselves or   
   others, so I don't think Colorado law allows for a "red flag" petition to   
   be used against a parent or guardian of a troubled juvenile.   
      
   I've reached out to an attorney and law enforcement sources in Colorado   
   for confirmation on whether the parents or guardians of juveniles who are   
   under a "red flag" petition also have to give up their legally owned   
   firearms, and I'll update with more information once I hear back. At the   
   moment, though, it seems to me that Weiser's just looking to pad the   
   number of "red flag" petitions that are filed, regardless of whether or   
   not they'll have any real impact on those subject to them. If educators   
   are truly concerned about one of their juvenile students, the first call   
   should be to the student's family, and no one should be wasting their time   
   and energy on an Extreme Risk Protection Order that won't stop a troubled   
   teen from harming themselves or others.   
      
   https://bearingarms.com/camedwards/2025/10/01/colorado-pushes-teachers-to-   
   use-red-flag-law-n1230114   
      
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