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As changemakers across the country work to stop violence and build safer communities, we are excited to share information about how Californians are uniting to prevent firearm tragedies. Importantly, organizations across California are partnering with Reduce the Risk to spread awareness about protection orders in their communities.
In fact, the Gun Violence Restraining Order (GVRO) is an extremely effective tool. During the first three years of the GVRO law in California, it prevented
58 mass shootings across the state. During the same period, no suicides occurred among individuals who were served with the order. There are an additional eight protection orders available that can prevent violence and save lives.
Reduce the Risk is working to educate Californians about protection orders as a tool to help prevent firearm violence across the state. Download our Protection Order Infographic and E-Toolkit to learn more about the protection orders available in California and how you can get involved in the Reduce the Risk campaign:
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California's Protection Orders:
E-toolkit:
Protection orders save lives by temporarily removing an individual’s access to firearms and ammunition. To learn more about protection orders, visit our
website.
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Trainings with Law Enforcement Officers Across California
Between 2016 and 2023,
98% of GVROs issued in California were filed by law enforcement. Reduce the Risk has trained hundreds of law enforcement officers from dozens of agencies across California, offering them the opportunity to learn about nuances of protection orders, how they can be used, and important information about how they should be filed.
Check out this quote from La Mesa Police Department’s Detective Brian Heller, who recently participated in a Reduce the Risk training:
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Our Department currently submits, on average, about 1-2 Gun Violence Emergency Protective Orders (GVEPOs) per week to our City Attorney’s Office. We also regularly obtain Emergency Protective Orders and are familiar with the process. Regarding successful GVEPOs, our Department has enforced several, within my six month tenure of managing them, that have resulted in multiple firearm and ammunition seizures, as well as arrests for possession of illegal, privately manufactured firearms (PMFs) “aka Ghost Guns.”
I felt this training was very relevant to our implementation of GVEPOs and further enhanced my understanding regarding the totality of the process as it works through the courts. The statistical portion of the training was also helpful in validating all of the work we as law enforcement put into obtaining and enforcing the orders. The majority of my department, primarily on the patrol level, did not know that a GVEPO could be obtained solely for self-harm / threats involving a firearm. I believe this is a key takeaway from the training that other law enforcement agencies will benefit from. I would definitely recommend this training to other organizations across the state and believe it was well prepared and thoughtfully executed.
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Listen to Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Kyle Ikeuchi talk about the GVRO filing process:
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How Clinicians Can Help Prevent Firearm Injury: On-Demand CME
Reduce the Risk has teamed up with the California Medical Association to help educate healthcare professionals about firearm violence prevention. Learn more below:
Firearm-related injury and death are a growing public health crisis in the United States, claiming nearly 50,000 lives each year. Clinicians are uniquely positioned to help reduce the risk across a range of situations, including suicide, dementia, intimate partner violence, unintentional injury, and mass shootings.
“Preventing Firearm Injury: What Clinicians Can Do” is an on-demand CME course created by the University of California’s BulletPoints Project and accredited by the California Medical Association, that focuses on practical areas where clinicians can make a meaningful difference. The hour-long on-demand training teaches clinicians how to identify at-risk patients and how to intervene according to the type and level of risk of firearm violence.
The course introduces the 3 A’s framework (Approach, Assess, Act) for reducing firearm injury and walks learners through three case studies that demonstrate how a clinician applies the framework to identify risk and partner with patients to reduce harm. Participants will gain tools to:
- Describe the clinician’s role in preventing firearm injuries
- Identify patients at increased risk for firearm injury
- Engage in conversations about firearm injury prevention with patients
- Apply interventions appropriate to the level and type of risk
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Register for the course
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Champions Advisory Council Member Spotlight: Donald O’Keefe
The Reduce the Risk campaign is informed by our Champions Advisory Council which is composed of experts in law enforcement, legal practice and health care. This month we would like to introduce Champions Council Member Donald O’Keefe, the Chief of Law Enforcement at the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).
Mr. O’Keefe was appointed as Chief of Law Enforcement at Cal OES in December 2021, building on nearly 50 years of experience in public service and community safety. Prior to his appointment with Cal OES, O’Keefe served as the United States Marshal for the Northern District of California. He also served for more than three years as the police chief for the city of Half Moon Bay and spent 27 years with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Reduce the Risk thanks Chief O’Keefe for the work he has done to share the power of protection orders with law enforcement to keep communities safer.
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Join Us in Reducing the Risk – Schedule a Free Training
Reduce the Risk offers a free Protection Order Training Program to educate communities about the state’s nine protection orders. In addition to our work with law enforcement, legal services and healthcare, we are expanding our outreach to include community organizations and organizations focused on supporting veterans, aging, education and social services.
This one-hour training is available both virtually or in-person and includes real-life scenarios, regional statistics on firearm violence, and information on how to file a protection order. To schedule a training for your organization please visit our
website.
Share Information About Protection Orders With Your Community!
Reduce the Risk has published resources for Californians who are interested in learning more about protection orders. Please share these resources with others in your organization or community to help them learn about the power of protection orders.
To download materials, visit our
website or contact us at
ReduceTheRisk@caloes.ca.gov for more information.
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Get Involved
Share Knowledge. Save Lives.
If you know someone who might find this information helpful, please forward this notice and refer them to our site for in-person and virtual training opportunities. You can also contact our team of subject matter experts for media interviews.
Contact Us
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To learn more about Reduce the Risk and how you can prevent gun violence in your community, visit
www.ReduceTheRisk.ca.gov.
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