In the wake of mass shootings we break down Florida’s Red Flag Law

Three weeks after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Red Flag laws became the new reality for people in the Sunshine State.

Senator Marco Rubio says “The signs are there, months and sometimes years in advance. That includes the shooter in Parkland.”

Fast forward a year and a half and Rubio is once again pushing for a national Red Flag Law.

Florida’s Red Flag Law, which is also called Risk Protection Orders or RPO’s, allow police to take weapons, ammo, and concealed carry permits away from people who are believed to be a threat to themselves or others.

LINK: Read the law here.

Family members can also ask a judge to take away a gun from someone they fear is a danger to the community.

We spoke to a detective in charge of enforcing the law here in Southwest Florida.

Cape Coral Detective Miguel Fleming with the Major Crimes Unit said, “RPO isn’t going away. I think if anything, we’re going to have to expand.”

Since Parkland, a judge has signed off on 20 total RPO’s and the police department still holds the firearms from 11 of those people.

He adds that there’s no way to tell if a Red Flag Law could prevent the next mass shooting but he believes the law makes Southwest Florida safer, “No, there’s no way to quantify it, regrettably. I’d be interested to know what that number would be.”

If police take someone’s gun, seeking help for mental health is not a requirement for getting the weapon back.