TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
TITLE: Approve the Memorandum of Understanding By and Between the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office and the City of North Port, Florida, on Behalf of the North Port Police Department Regarding Carrying Firearms and Weapons in Court Facilities.
Recommended Action
Option 1: Approve the Memorandum of Understanding by and between the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office and the City of North Port, Florida, on behalf of the North Port Police Department regarding carrying firearms and weapons in court facilities.
City Commission Options
Option 1: Approve the Memorandum of Understanding by and between the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office and the City of North Port, Florida, on behalf of the North Port Police Department regarding carrying firearms and weapons in court facilities.
* Pros: Uniformed armed officers provide an extra layer of safety and security for the judicial system, especially in the event of an active shooter or threat occurring within the courtrooms.
* Cons: Officers would remain unarmed in an environment where a potential threat may arise, leaving them unable to take necessary actions to protect themselves or to subdue/neutralize a threat within the courthouse.
Option 2: Deny the Memorandum of Understanding by and between the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office and the City of North Port, Florida, on behalf of the North Port Police Department regarding carrying firearms and weapons in court facilities.
* Pros: Reduces the likelihood of a use of force incident against the Department should an event occur that requires decisive action or force.
* Cons: Officers will need to secure their weapons and firearms prior to entering the secured facility, making them vulnerable to taking action against a potential threat. The North Port Police Department would be the only agency in the Twelfth Judicial Circuit prohibited from carrying firearms insi...
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