A gun task force assembled in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, has released a preliminary report looking at ways the county can prevent gun violence.
The task force was formed in April by county Executive Steuart Pittman to take a look at how the county could address this issue. The group’s three chairs have all lost loved ones to gun violence, and include Maria Hiaasen and Andrea Chamblee, both of whom lost their husbands, Rob Hiaasen and John McNamara, in the mass shooting at the Capital Gazette.
In its report, the group recommended the county declare gun violence a public health crisis and to rally schools, communities, faith-based groups and others to join together to combat the problem.
Among recommended steps are encouraging guns to be produced with safety measures and requiring a criminal-background check of the buyer for all gun sales.
The task force also suggested required training for gun buyers and making sure sellers have information available for buyers on preventing suicide and domestic violence. There should be a plan put in place for primary care and emergency room providers to screen for gun safety, as well.
When it comes to schools, the group calls for more crisis intervention teams to expand the Crisis Response System across Anne Arundel County and reach more schools.
More sleep for students through school start-time adjustments could help improve students’ mental health and decrease dangerous behavior, the task force said.
The task force wants to target the communities and schools with the highest rates of violence and bullying to help focus prevention efforts, which could include programs offering guidance from former offenders.
Beyond this local-level data, the task force wants the county to establish a “centralized data repository,” where law enforcement and others can share information on gun violence, which the group hopes will help track how well countywide strategies are working.
A Maryland red flag law exists so the courts can order individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others, to turn their weapons and ammunition over to law enforcement. The task force calls for the county to further educate the community about the law and to make sure programs exist so those who meet the conditions established by the court can have their weapons returned.
Reaching out and providing services to victims of gun violence is also on the list.
The task force has asked the county to get behind local legislation involving gun safety. Among those bills, a county push to require stolen or lost guns reported to law enforcement within 48 hours instead of the state’s 72-hour window, as well as county legislation to require child-safety locks on guns.
Statewide, the task force supports bills calling for required background checks and licenses for rifle and shotgun owners, as well as bills restricting firearm access for people convicted of alcohol-related offenses and those charged with or convicted of domestic violence.
The group, which consists of educators, former members of law enforcement, advocacy groups and community organizations, has in the past been criticized by gun rights groups, which claimed their opinions were not being heard. That led to a public comment hearing earlier this year, in which several gun rights supporters spoke.
In its report, the task force said a work group will now be convened to consider the recommendations, with a final report next spring.
