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Escambia Code Officers Could Get Guns
April 14, 2011
Escambia County’s Environmental Code Enforcement officers could soon be carrying guns on job under a plan tentatively approved by county commissioners.
Commissioner Gene Valentino said that code officers could be deputized and carry a weapon, but that idea was not agreeable to his fellow commissioners and Sheriff David Morgan.
But commissioners voted unanimously to allow code enforcement officers to get a concealed weapons permit in order to care a firearm. The policy will be drafted by the county attorney and set for final approval at future commission meeting.
The 14 code officers in the county have already been issued bulletproof vests, but the current county policy prohibits firearms on county property or in a county vehicle, except for Sheriff’s deputies.
Escambia County Environmental Code officers enforce and investigate codes, ordinances, state statutes, and administrative code violations committed in Escambia County. They also operate within Century under a joint agreement with the town.
Pictured: Escambia County Code Enforcement Director Sandra Slay addresses the Century Town Council about a problem property in February. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
23 Responses to “Escambia Code Officers Could Get Guns”
I say utilize an asset that we have. All but one of the 13 field officers has been through the police academy. 11 of the 13 hold a FDLE certification as a law enforcement officer signed by the governor. Let’s have them enforce the Florida statutes that deal with Nuisance conditions, trash and litter so our property values can go back up.
just sayin,
The only thing in your yard that might might be a code violation, is if it is overgrown.
There is no excuse for anything else.
Is there?
David,
If it were only that easy. If I were capable of cleaning my yard, there wouldn’t have been a problem from the very beginning.
Some people are just so narrow minded and see the whole world in black and white. The real world, the one that everybody else lives in, is full of gray areas.
Everyone eligible is entitled to a concealed carry license. If they can get one then the county has to change it’s policies regarding employees carrying weapons on the job. Then there is the question of liability. Will the county assume liability for an employee who carry weapons? Big potential for wasting more taxpayers money. Give them mace or tasers. Let them call LEOs for perceived problems. No guns for non-LEO employees.
Everyone has the right to protect themselves. If they can pass the background checks and pay for the permit themselves, then they should be allowed to carry. It’s our 2nd Amendment right to do so. As for the people worried about what they will do when they get to your house. Clean up your nasty yard and you won’t have to deal with them.
They should be armed! and issued a weapon and radio from the county. the ECSO deputies are not required to use their own gun, so why say they can get a concealed carry permit? The county needs to deputize and arm these people! they just might stumble onto a crime and be the only person there to stop it.
ARM THE CODE OFFICERS!
I agree that having a concealed weapons license will disqualify several officers and the ones that receive this will be held to personal liabilities. But in the meantime this is ludicrous. Can you see the lawsuits coming?
Just sayin’,
Do you pay to have your household trash hauled away?
Or do you just let it pile up or dump it in a ditch some where?
If your on ECUA, get your crap to the curb.
Once a month large item removal is FREE.
I believe the Code Enforcement Officers have a Dangerious job, to go to someones property to Enforce a Violation. They are needed, they due face dangerous situations, to carry of firearms as LEO’S raise questions. If they are not Trained, have Authority in Law Enforcement there could be problems.
Why not just let them, Inspect Violation, call for LEO if necessary, Write up Violation as they would a Parking Violation, and the Court & Judge resolve the issus. Whether Fines or prison. The Comissioner is only trying to address a complaint. WE ALL HAVE COMPLAINTS, REGARDLESS HOW SMALL OR GREAT. There will always be those who don’t see it as you do.
Why not do away with code enforcement. Give that money to the sheriff and let his people take care of it. That would cut payroll and vehicle cost. not to mention benefits for those people that are mostly not qualified.
I did this kind of work for almost 10 years with another County dept., some of the places I had to go to I would have felt better with a handgun, but for us it was against the rules. I well remember all of the “Bubbas with Guns” episodes this dept. had a few years back. I think this would be different as they would be carrying as a citizen, not as a member of sworn law enforcement. If they did something that got them into trouble, the County would leave them out on a limb by themselves to work out their troubles with the Sheriff and State Attorney’s Office. There is great responsibility / liability to carrying a gun as a citizen, if you shoot someone, you had better be in the right or you’re going to prison in our great “lock ‘em up” state.
TO Resident:
You don’t know, just by looking at them, what is wrong with a person. Many people look perfectly fine ON THE OUTSIDE but that doesn’t tell you what going on INSIDE. You shouldn’t try to judge someone’s medical condition unless you happen to be that person’s doctor. Otherwise, you don’t have a clue what that person is suffering with and it would be unwise to purport otherwise. Laziness doesn’t enter into the equation with most people. Most really cannot do it and “not wanting to” or “not caring” has nothing to do with.
TO Well:
I LIVE in one of those “Clean Sweep” areas. Guess what? No help whatsoever. I was also under the impression that it would be picked up if it was put out on the right of way. WRONG!! I was informed on the day of the “Operation” by both Code Enforcement and the organizer that this was not the case. They will only pick up certain things and the rest…..oh well, figure it out yourself. As for “the rest of us” having to take it to the dump and pay for it, that’s what I was told to do. That might be a solution if 1) I had transportation, 2) I had a truck and trailer with the proper equipment to load this stuff 3) if I had any money to pay the dump for accepting it and 4) if I could afford to pay someone to do it for me.
Everyone needs to stop jumping to conclusions about everything when they don’t know. There’s an old saying about not judging another man until you’ve walked a mile in his moccasins. Maybe you ought to think about those moccasins before commenting on things you really don’t understand.
You folks in this district had a chance to get rid of Valentino, couldn,t get the voters out to beat him. He has made bad decisions since the beginning of his tenure. He will continue to do so. This probably one of the worst. These are nothing but wannabee policemen that were never good enough to make the grade. They are nothing but trouble waiting for a place to happen. BAD IDEA DO NOT LET IT HAPPEN.
Time to contact your commissioners.
https://www.co.escambia.fl.us/CountyCommissioners/
Remember the last time Code Enforcement was armed and allowed to run police lights? Lawsuits and numerous complaints led to the Sheriffs Dept. taking back the guns and lights. They want to do this again? How stupid do they think we are? Lots of taxpayer money was wasted the last time they went these actions. Vote them out if they arm Code Enforcement again.
At one time they were armed with police lights on their vehicles. It was only 4 or 5 years back. Some of them were convicted felons that were not caught by the background checks. Some of them, and the county, were sued for egregious abuse of authority by local businessmen. They clearly abused their authority to the extent that the Sheriffs Dept. stripped them of their guns and lights from their vehicles. These people are not fit to be given the authority to wield guns in the name of the county. More lawsuits will be pending, guaranteed. What the heck is wrong with our commissioners?
To just saying….Because some of you are to lazy to do anything. You want someone else to come in and do it for you. I know some folks who have handi cap stickers on their cars and they are no more handi capped than I am. I know there are some that are not able to clean up, but some just don’t care and that makes it bad for all of us.
This is one of the worst ideas that have come from the country commissioners lately (and there have been plenty). Several of the current Code Enforcement Officers are individuals who went through the Law Enforcement Academy, then failed out of the training program at a local law enforcement team (i.e., the Sheriff’s Office). Dana is correct; they were given radios by the Sheriff’s Office several years ago, and showed very quickly that they did not have the common sense to use them properly. I’m not talking about the ones with no training, I’m talking about several of the ones that had been through (and as mentioned before, failed) an actual local law enforcement agency’s training program. Now we’re going to let people that have shown that they don’t have the responsibility to use a radio properly carry guns? Really bad idea. Cygie has it right. Let them keep their (one) bullet in their pocket!
TO Just Sayin:
We do offer assistance to those unable and UNWILLING to clean up their property . The Sheriff calls them clean sweeps.
Everyones tax dollars are used to pay to remove tons of waste from ONLY the targeted area for FREE. If they can at least get it on the county Right-Of-Way.
Those outside the affected area can haul their waste to the Landfill for about 50 dollarsa ton. Not to fair huh.
two words…Barney Fife
Let’s just arm all the overseers. How about a reality check, how many incidents are there where these guys are attacked. Not being sworn officers now, do they have authority to arrest anyone?
Bad idea.
Didn’t they have all the deputy stuff awhile back and it was taken from them? Why do we go around and around I guess they figure you’ll forget…….and usually you do!
They’re already a little big for their britches. WHY would we give them guns and make it worse? They are rude and sometimes even hostile not to mention contradictory (one officer says something is fine but another comes along and pitches a fit over the same thing). Instead of trying to intimidate everyone into compliance, why don’t they offer assistance for those who are not physically or financially able to fix these “problems”? We’d probably have a lot more nice looking yards if they did.
Just sayiin’