DENVER– Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams has been a vehement critic of Colorado’s so-called “red flag” law. So much so that he made national headlines for saying he would rather go to jail than enforce what he considers a violation of his oath of office.
Governor Polis signed House Bill 19-177 in April, establishing an “Extreme Risk Protection Order,” or ERPO, system to allow police to seize guns from those considered a threat to themselves or others, based on claims from police, roommates, and ex-spouses and other romantic partners, among others. Critics of the measure contend that, among other things, it lacks adequate due process protections, can be used vindictively, and may actually lead to unnecessary violent confrontations between police and subjects of the orders. Advocates claim the law is needed to get guns out of the hands of people in mental health crisis. The law goes into effect in 2020.
Sheriff Reams recently sat down and aired his many concerns about the law with host Jon Caldara on the public affairs TV show Devil’s Advocate (airs Friday nights at 8:30 on Colorado Public Television, channel 12). That video is below, and is well worth the time.
