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Maryland's lieutenant governor touted new laws aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and praised the Prince George's County Sheriff's Office for its efforts against domestic violence at a June 11 morning tour of the sheriff's office in Upper Marlboro.

Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D) said he came to Prince George's largely because of its high population of African Americans. Homicides related to domestic violence are the leading cause of unnatural deaths for black women between the ages of 15 and 45, he said.

"Today's a significant day for not only protecting African-American women who are victims of domestic violence but all women who are victims of domestic violence," he said.

The two laws, both of which were signed by Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) on May 19, give judges the option of confiscating guns when they issue temporary protective orders against people suspected of domestic violence and require judges to confiscate guns when they issue final protective orders. Both laws will go into effect Oct. 1.

According to Brown's office, more than half of the 75 Maryland residents and 11 county residents who were killed in 2008 as a result of domestic violence were shot to death.

The sheriff's department has taken the lead in domestic violence cases in Capitol Heights, Suitland, Seat Pleasant and surrounding areas since 2006, when Jackson launched the Domestic Violence Unit, a 65-member group that includes sheriff's deputies, counselors and court advocates who focus on domestic violence cases. Those advocates worked with 2,820 domestic violence victims in 2008, said Norma Harley, who manages the unit's victim assistance coordinators.

But sheriff's deputies are confiscating fewer weapons from people suspected of domestic violence, taking in 50 percent fewer guns in 2008 than they did in 2007, according to Lt. Col. Robert Kiker, commander of field operations for the department. Jackson said the laws will give judges the authority to confiscate firearms from people who do not have them out in the open when sheriff's deputies arrive.

"Prince George's County and the rest of the state of Maryland is committed to eradicating domestic violence," Jackson said. "We are no longer going to remain silent."

Elissa Levine, the program manager for counseling and outreach for House of Ruth, a nonprofit that works with abuse victims, said she is worried the sheriff's department does not have the resources to handle cases in the rest of the county.

"They're very collaborative with people in the community," said Levine, who said she supports the new laws. "They're also strapped for funding … I would like them to spread out to other parts of the county."

Cpt. Thomas Lay, the commander of the domestic violence unit, said the sheriff's office focuses on Suitland, Capitol Heights and Seat Pleasant but is also active in other areas. He said he hopes his group will eventually handle domestic violence cases across the county.

There have been about 10,000 reports of domestic violence in the county since the beginning of the year, according to Vernon Herron, the county's director of homeland security. Sheriff's deputies responded to 2,000 of those calls, and 435 of them required emergency medical services, he said.