PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Gun safety advocates want Rhode Island family court judges to require more domestic abusers to surrender their firearms.
A report to be released Monday shows 34% of domestic abusers are being ordered to surrender their weapons in final orders of protection. That’s an increase from 5% before a 2017 state law regarding firearm surrenders took effect.
In cases where a defendant is ordered to surrender firearms, 36% filed an affidavit — as required under the law — to prove they no longer have the weapons.
The report was compiled by Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action. Besides court files, it relies on observations of trained volunteers who monitored 289 domestic violence protection order cases between October 2018 and May 2019.
Some judges disagree about how the law should be interpreted.
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