City Officers with Guns in Courthouses

That's kind of a stretch to equate being in the courthouse after going through the mag with going to a burg without your gun. Try another comparison dear.

Not so much. I guarantee there are more violent criminals in the courts complex at any given time than at any burglary scene you've ever been to.

Hello! They're unarmed. If you can't defend yourself against an unarmed criminal, get out of the business. How many unarmed law enforcers have been injured in any of Pinellas County's courthouses? How many times have I seen city police officers approaching the CJC mag in uniform without their gun, which they have left in their car? Plenty. If they were so worried and properly trained, they would carry all the way to the mag, then use the lock box.

Wrong, more shootings over the years have happened at court houses around the country. If officers have secure holsters they should be allowed to carry guns in the courtrooms. It is not uncommon for subjects and relatives to find a way to get weapons in a courtroom. fact of life in this day and age. Even when we werent allowed I had a second gun or ankle gun registered to me.. with me... all the time! Its called self preservation.. and I have worked the roughest neighborhoods in Florida !
The judges carry so why not us ?

Sheriff is making a powerplay and the FOP needs to fight for the majority of the officers in the county who do not work for the sheriff.

We have the majority, we need to squeeze the sheriff and chief judge.

Threaten to fight hard against their re-election campaigns. They are politicians and will likely cave under intense pressure from us and the media.

Bailiff deputies at CJC are able to communicate between themselves and building control, which is the nerve center for the complex. You self servingly paint a grim and incorrect picture of the security at the court complexes. As demonstrated by Deputies mg and bjl, a recent bad guy was stopped in his tracks. Were there others that were missed? Research all the reports of guns and other weapons confiscated by bailiffs over the years, and persons arrested for same, and I think you'll end up apologizing for your rantings.

If you really want progress in your quest to have all uniformed law enforcement have guns in the complexes, stop pouting like a baby and work quietly to achieve your goal. Find out what it is the Sheriff would require of other agencies to be allowed to carry in the courthouse, for which he has total responsibility and liability. If it's training and qualification by PCSO LETS staff, arrange for it. This tactic of demeaning the Sheriff and accusing him of being power or control hungry will not work. You tried the thing with the unfair labor practice and it cost you. You represented jb in his appeal and it cost you. Your judgement is not good. Reform while you still have the cush job at fop. Try the art of compromise and negotiation, rather than bluster and saber rattling.

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ITS A POWER STRUGGLE, THE SHERIFF NEEDS TO GET A GRIP!

Look, if you're worried about your personal safety, go stand behind or sit close to a bailiff. Better yet, wear a suit to court, or soft clothes to your depo or invest so no one knows you're law enforcement. Feel better now honey?

That's nice lets hide,,,,, ahhhhhh no.

Hello! They're unarmed. If you can't defend yourself against an unarmed criminal, get out of the business. How many unarmed law enforcers have been injured in any of Pinellas County's courthouses? How many times have I seen city police officers approaching the CJC mag in uniform without their gun, which they have left in their car? Plenty. If they were so worried and properly trained, they would carry all the way to the mag, then use the lock box.

If you assume they are unarmed, then it is you who should get out of the business. It would really not be that difficult to get a weapon into the courthouse.

I have my back up on me anyway...they don't check and the day I don't have it I'm using a lawyer as a shield.

I CARRY A BUTTER KNIFE IN MY BOOT... SO IM GOOD

Early last year I scheduled a meeting with Chief Judge Robert Morris to discuss concerns about changing the policy and allowing all uniformed officers to carry a firearm in the courthouse. When I went to the meeting, I was told that we had to wait for 2 "guests" to arrive. Unknown to me at the time, the 2 guests were Captian Schobel and Bob Gualtieri of the Sheriff's Office. Once they arrived, the meeting began.

I expressed my concerns to Judge Morris who politely listened to my presentation. When I was done, Judge Morris told me that he had polled judges and the majority of them were not in favor of the idea. He also told me that he got a lot of grief from the same judges when he changed the policy to allow uniformed Sheriff's Office personnel to carry their firearms in the courthouse. He said that he was unable to change the policy at this time and thanked me for my comments.

Bob Gualtieri then spoke to the concerns that the Sheriff had about officers carrying their firearms in the courthouse. He said that the Sheriff is tasked with the responsibility of courthouse security and the Sheriff was opposed to officers carrying their firearms since he was unsure what kind of training we receive as officers. He also indicated that the Sheriff's courthouse personnel were highly trained and competent to handle any and all situations that they would likely encounter. He pointed to the BJ Lyons shooting as an example of how well the system worked. Bottom line is that the Sheriff and Bob Gualtieri are opposed to officers carrying their firearms in the courthouse.

That said, I have done all I can do about this issue. Until Judge Morris and Sheriff Coats have a change of heart, we will not be allowed to carry firearms into the courthouse.