Gun violence reduction bill reintroduced in House

The bipartisan Jake Laird Act was reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives last week during National Police Week and Mental Health Awareness Month.

The bill enables local law enforcement to temporarily remove and retain firearms with probable cause from individuals who are determined to be an imminent danger to themselves or others.

The bill also provides grants to states to provide police officers with additional training with the goal of deescalating life-threatening crises and preventing future potentially deadly events.

The federal bill is similar to Indiana’s 2005 Jake Laird Law that has been used more than 700 times in Indianapolis. The federal bill encourages states to enact similar laws.

The bill was reintroduced by U.S. Reps. Susan W. Brooks (R-IN), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Ted Deutch (D-FL) and Fred Upton (R-MI).

“This bipartisan legislation will serve an important role as we work to prevent violent shootings in our country and keep our families safe,” Upton said. “Law enforcement remains on the front-lines of the fight against gun violence, and making sure they have another tool in their toolbox would further help them protect our communities.”

The bill is named after Jake Laird, an Indianapolis police officer who was shot and killed in the line of duty in 2004 by a man who struggled with mental illness.