LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Michigan politicians looking to strengthen the state’s red flag gun law are aiming at the wrong target, according to the National Rifle Association (NRA). They say the real public-safety problem is a criminal justice system that repeatedly fails to hold dangerous people accountable.

The NRA Institute for Legislative Action made that argument in an Aug. 31 article responding to calls for stronger gun restrictions following the deadly Aug. 14 shootings in Missaukee County. Five victims and suspected gunman Chad Hickman died in the shootings.

Red Flags After Red Flags

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Michigan Democratic Secretary of State and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson said the tragedy showed the need to close “loopholes” in Michigan’s red flag law so firearms are relinquished by abusers. She also called for better law enforcement training and other gun-related policy changes.

The NRA argues another layer of gun restrictions would miss the larger issue. According to the organization, red flag laws focus on removing firearms rather than addressing the allegedly dangerous conduct of the individual. The group also contends such laws raise due-process concerns and can create the appearance that a threat has been addressed without dealing with the underlying behavior.

NRA: Look at the Justice System

Hickman was no stranger to the criminal justice system, with past cases involving allegations of violence and felony-level offenses. Police say he appeared in nearly 70 police reports dating back to 2002, but those cases did not result in felony convictions. Some charges were dropped, while others were resolved as lesser misdemeanors, including fourth-degree child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

It is that history – and how those earlier cases were handled – that the NRA says should be getting more scrutiny. The organization say that Michigan leaders should focus on prosecutorial decisions, plea agreements, sentencing and enforcement of existing laws before expanding red flag policies.

Its message: taking guns from people deemed dangerous is no substitute for dealing with dangerous people in the first place.