Action at the state and federal levels
Safe storage, ERPOs & more
Among a number of other new measures, a package of gun laws currently being debated in Massachusetts includes expanded Extreme Risk Protection Order laws (ERPOs) and greater protections against so-called “ghost guns.” As readers of this newsletter know, 97Percent is strongly in favor of ERPOs, otherwise known as red flag laws, as a means of decreasing gun deaths. But today, let’s talk a little bit about ghost guns—firearms assembled at home from components without serial numbers, making them untraceable by law enforcement.
First, a disclaimer. There are Americans who enjoy building guns as a hobby with no intention of ever using them to commit a crime. As always, law-abiding citizens are not the problem. The issue is that as these DIY guns have grown in popularity, more and more people involved in illicit activities or with an intent to harm themselves or others are becoming armed without detection.
By purchasing individual gun parts online or at hardware stores without undergoing background checks required for purchasing complete firearms, people who would otherwise be restricted from obtaining guns can easily build their own unregistered weapons. It’s possible to build an entire stockpile of guns undetected, as a recent disturbing case in New York revealed. Plus, tracking the source and ownership of these firearms is nearly impossible, hindering investigations into criminal activities involving these weapons.
Now add another layer of accessibility. For people with access to a 3D printer, it’s even easier not only to build a weapon from scratch but to transform a standard pistol into a fully automatic weapon. Large majorities of Americans are opposed to this practice, but that doesn’t stop it from happening.
This brings us back to ERPOs, and why they’re so critical to saving lives. When other established protections—namely, licensing and background checks—fail to stop a gun from falling into the wrong hands, ERPOs provide a last-ditch means for preventing a gun violence tragedy. Will they stop every potential gun crime? Of course not, as the proliferation of ghost guns demonstrates. But they may be one of the best tools we have to stem the tide.