Red Flag Law guide available

Last week, the Oregon Department of Justice released the new one-page handout to educate people about how the new law works. This guide lists those who can request an order, details the timelines for hearings, and how long the order is effective.

“Oregon's ‘Red Flag Law’ is one of the few tools we have to reasonably quickly remove a gun or weapon from somebody who is at risk. When we realized that not that many Oregonians seem to realize this law is an option, we decided to create a resource for Oregonians that was simple and easy to understand,” said Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum.

“This law is not complicated, but its effects could be significant. I hope that by making people aware of the law and breaking down the steps involved in the ‘Red Flag Law’ process, we are able to help save lives.”

Oregon is one of five states in the nation to have this type of law. The law is nicknamed “Red Flag Law” for when a person exhibits a ‘red flag’ or other indicator that they may cause harm to themselves, or others.

“Many of us are asking right now how we can better keep Oregonians safe and keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people. While there is still a lot of work to do, Oregon has made significant gains to strengthen our gun safety laws. This is the first in a series of one-pagers on these new laws. It is my hope that all Oregonians know about these laws so we can get guns and other weapons out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them,” said Rosenblum.

As part of honoring Crime Victims Week, which was April 8-14, Rosenblum met with student leaders at the University of Oregon campus to discuss gun safety. She also toured two state-of-the-art domestic violence programs—the Center for Hope and Safety in Salem, and the Gateway Center in Portland.

In addition, she announced a name change of the Oregon Department of Justice Crime Victim Services Division to recognize the many victims of crime who consider themselves survivors. Going forward, it will be called the Crime Victim and Survivor Services Division. Visit www.dojstate.or.us/redflaglaw.