INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – After two mass shootings left 31 people dead in Texas and Ohio over the weekend, President Donald Trump called for red flag laws.
Neither state has this legislation, but Indiana is one of 17 states with its own version.
Indiana’s Red Flag Law is known as the Jake Laird Law.
Since the law passed in 2005, it has been used more than 700 times in Indianapolis.
“It always takes a tragedy for people to start talking again about things,” said Mike Laird, Jake’s father.
Jake was shot and killed in the line of duty in 2004.
“He wanted to protect people, and he gave his life up for doing that,” said Mike.
His son is still saving lives with the Jake Laird Law. It allows officers in Indiana to temporarily take guns away from someone if they find probable cause that the person may hurt themselves or others.
“But then it has also got a built-in due process component,” said Rick Snyder, the president of the Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police.
The courts decide whether the owner gets their guns back.
Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb said this law works.
“Will it work 100% of the time? I’m not going to mislead you, but it does work,” said Gov. Holcomb.
Many people, including President Trump, are calling for the expansion of these kinds of laws. Indiana Congresswoman Susan Brooks wrote legislation earlier this year that provides grant money to states who choose to enact them. It’s called the Jake Laird Act.
“Makes me feel good if they actually do something with it,” said Mike.
Jake’s father hopes it passes soon, but he knows it’s not the final solution.
“It’s just a step to try to get things under control,” he said.
Snyder agrees.
“The Jake Laird Law is a tool for law enforcement on a proactive preventative front, but until we as a society start addressing these issues of the head and the heart, we won’t see a lot of change in this,” said Snyder.
Attorney General Curtis Hill announced his support for President Trump’s embrace of Red Flag Laws on Tuesday.
He said he has touted the value of these laws in Washington D.C. multiple times within the last year.
