Tribal communities face a variety of unique obstacles to removing firearms from individuals who are prohibited from having them due to civil protection orders (CPOs) or criminal convictions for domestic violence. Yet the CPO and criminal processes provide many opportunities for professionals to learn about and respond effectively to abusers’ access to firearms using existing laws. The NCJFCJ and our partners have gathered examples of strategies from around the country to help Tribal and other communities take full advantage of these intervention opportunities so that they can better protect victims and others from firearms violence.
The NCJFCJ, in partnership with the Office on Violence Against Women, is leading a Firearms Pilot Site Initiative (FPSI) that will provide training and technical assistance on these strategies and practices. The project is a collaboration with the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (NIWRC) and other national TA providers (AEquitas, BWJP, CCI, the IACP, and Ujima), as well as expert practitioners from around the country. The FPSI will work with selected sites to assist them in developing interdisciplinary efforts to improve local implementation of firearms prohibitions in civil and criminal domestic violence contexts.
This webinar will discuss challenges and strategies pertinent to Tribal communities that are involved in efforts to effectively implement firearms restrictions in domestic violence cases. It will also introduce professionals and communities to the FPSI, which soon will be selecting sites for in-depth technical assistance, training, and other support. The NCJFCJ and its partners will assist selected sites in assessing their implementation efforts and challenges, identifying gaps, and developing partnerships among community stakeholders, including federal partners, to design and implement practices that will enhance victim and community safety.