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Health Board Wants More Enforcement Of Gun Confiscations

King County's Board of Health is pushing for better enforcement of gun confiscation laws.

In Washington, people subject to restraining orders can be required to surrender their guns. Those cases often involve domestic violence. Law enforcement agencies are supposed to have a process to collect the firearms.

But the Board of Health says that in King County it's not always done effectively, and that causes a public health risk.

"Research shows that the most important element in preventing fatalities is to remove the firearm from a domestic violence situation," Board Chair Rod Dembowski said. "We've got a state law now that provides for that, and we just want to make sure that there's a system in place to make sure that it's carried out."

The health board approved a resolution Thursday asking county health officials to help develop that system.