NAACP asks Manatee County to reconsider gun policy for staff

The Manatee County Chapter of the NAACP has come out versus a new proposal that would permit county governing administration workers to carry guns while at do the job.

The Manatee County Commission voted previously this month to look at revising the firearm coverage for personnel later on this summer months. In a push release presented to the Bradenton Herald on Wednesday, Manatee NAACP President Luther Wilkins denounced the notion as “creating a perhaps wild west ecosystem.”

“The Manatee County NAACP is fully commited to guaranteeing the safety of all citizens and the prevention of anyone’s constitutional rights from at any time currently being violated,” Wilkins wrote. “Therefore, the Manatee County NAACP is strongly opposed to the establishment of an ordinance that allows county workers (with hid have permits) to have firearms in the office ecosystem.”

Commissioner James Satcher elevated the strategy in a public conference before this month, pointing to the county’s current plan, which necessitates workers to enter the workplace with no weapons.

“We see that gun-free zones really should be identified as prison empowerment zones. They mainly just allow the undesirable fellas know specifically exactly where to focus on,” Satcher explained at the conference. “I experience we have a very similar predicament correct now with 2,000 county staff that are not permitted to work out their Second Modification legal rights even though they’re at get the job done.”

Gun-free of charge zones have extended been a talking level for Next Amendment advocates, these as the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation, who argue that any location that bans guns is unsafe. In 2017, Florida lawmakers briefly thought of a monthly bill that aimed to reduce gun-no cost zones during the point out.

Some Manatee County board members said they have been wary of updating the county’s coverage with regards to employees’ ability to carry guns.

Satcher’s proposal adopted a identical commitment from Gov. Ron DeSantis, who promised to indication a constitutional have invoice into law prior to he leaves office. A constitutional carry law would let most people today to invest in a gun devoid of implementing for a permit or getting gun instruction lessons.

Commissioner Reggie Bellamy warned that the proposed transform could direct to situations involving a shootout between workers or a disgruntled county staffer. In a organized assertion, the local NAACP claimed it had similar worries.

“A superior solution for the county would be to institute metallic detectors at entrances and go on to make the most of total-time compensated regulation enforcement officers in the course of business hours, as utilized throughout fee conferences. There are far better answers than what was proposed,” Wilkins wrote.

Reached for comment Thursday, Satcher dismissed the NAACP’s worries, arguing that the plan would make workers safer.

“The truth of the matter is criminals could not treatment much less what our guidelines are. They don’t wake up in the early morning checking up on county plan,” Satcher claimed.

The board will host a community meeting on July 26 to examine how revising the firearm coverage would affect federal government operations. County staff members are predicted to share a presentation that weighs the execs and downsides of the transform before the board will make a last decision.

Pointing to the board’s Republican the greater part, Satcher stated he hopes his fellow board associates will not be convinced to vote in opposition to the plan revision.

“I feel it really should be a no-brainer for a Republican elected official,” he described. “Part of the main of conservative perception is that you’re far better off having the liberty to consider care of by yourself instead than relying on authorities regulation.”

This story was at first posted May well 26, 2022 3:31 PM.