Sheriff: No Red Flag Law Will Circumvent the Criminal Mind

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, NM — Sheriff Glenn Hamilton of Sierra County, New Mexico was on CNN Newsroom with Poppy Harlow and Jim Sciutto on Thursday in a packaged story about the expansion of red flag laws as proposed in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act that is expected to pass the U.S. Senate with Senator John Cornyn’s support this week.

“I can tell you right now, a temporary restraining order issued to an individual that says you can voluntarily turn your firearms in and 48 hours is not going to be adhered to it all,” Hamilton told CNN’s Randi Kaye. When Kaye pressed Sheriff Hamilton that perhaps “some” of those ordered to turn in their firearms would comply, Hamilton was more emphatic.

“No, I do know that for sure. I have had 28 years of dealing with the criminal mind out there and I’m going to tell you, no red flag law in any way, shape or form is going to change a criminals mind that is dead set on — on committing such an atrocity as a mass shooting,” Hamilton said.

Sierra County is located in central New Mexico. Truth or Consequences, New Mexico is the county seat.

Watch excerpts from the exchange above.

Senator John Cornyn of Texas lead the effort to craft compromise legislation to restrict gun ownership rights. A centerpiece of the legislation will spend federal dollars to incentivize states to adopt red flag laws. Currently 19 states have such laws implemented. Texas is not one of them. For more on the legislation, see The Sins of Senator Cornyn.

In a related issue, Congressman August Pfluger today praised the U.S. Supreme Court decision to uphold the Second Amendment in the case, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v Bruen.

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that New York State could not disallow citizens from obtaining concealed carry permits. More on that decision here.

In a statement, Pfluger said, “States like New York have imposed unconstitutional restrictions on the rights of law-abiding citizens to own firearms for self-defense. Today’s ruling strengthens the Second Amendment and affirms that Americans have the right to defend themselves and their families regardless of the state they reside in.”