Howard County police recently increased the number of officers assigned to the department’s mental health unit, a move the police chief said was made, in part, to respond to the state’s new red flag law.

The law allows enforcement officials, family members, mental health providers and others to request temporary removal of guns from individuals they believe pose animmediate danger to themselves or others.

Approved by the General Assembly in April, the bill enabling “red flags” – also known as emergency risk protection orders – took effect in October.

That same month, county police expanded its mental health unit by increasing the number of police officers from one to three. It also has one mental health professional.

“We had a discussion as this law was approaching,” said Police Chief Gary Gardner.

He said the department needed “something to oversee and analyze the [emergency risk protection order] process, and it was best to have the mental health unit oversee it.”

Gardner, who earlier this month an-