Anne Arundel County’s Gun Violence Intervention Team Shares Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) Toolkit
Annapolis, MD (October 4, 2022) — The Anne Arundel County Department of Health’s Gun Violence Intervention Team (GVIT) released an online resource to help residents learn more about Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs). An ERPO is a civil order with due process protections issued by a court when someone is at risk of violence to themself or others. They allow law enforcement, family members and health care professionals to petition a court to temporarily remove firearms from a person who poses a risk of imminent harm to self or others. For the duration of the order, the individual is also prohibited from purchasing firearms.
This new ERPO toolkit is designed to be a local resource, giving Anne Arundel County residents easy access to information about ERPOs, along with details on how to file one, who can file for an ERPO, how long they last, and a number to call to ask questions.
“ERPO laws empower families and law enforcement and help prevent gun deaths and protect communities,” Anne Arundel County Health Officer Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman said. “This online resource is one more step in the GVIT’s efforts to keep communities safer by sharing information they can use.”
ERPOs became available in Maryland in 2018. As an early adopter, Anne Arundel County has been able to train staff from crisis response, law enforcement and the justice system. As a result, the county files more petitions for ERPOs than anywhere else in the state.
“Thanks to the trained, dedicated staff at the Police Department, our county has the highest ERPO approval rate in the state,” said County Executive Pittman. “In Anne Arundel County we are working to make communities safer.”
The GVIT was established on August 12, 2020, following an executive order by County Executive Steuart Pittman declaring gun violence a public health issue. The Team operates under the auspices of the Department of Health and works through collaborative meetings and workgroups with over a dozen partner agencies to use a public health lens, data and community engagement to reduce gun violence.
For more information on the Gun Violence Intervention Team, visit www.aahealth.org/gvit.