UPDATE: Hillsborough late to weapons ban party

We wrote yesterday on the Hillsborough Count Commission move to study violence prevention and study banning assault weapons.

Here's a couple of updates the Commissioners might want to be aware of.

It is against the law for Hillsborough County to ban assault weapons by Florida Statute 790.33.

790.33 Field of regulation of firearms and ammunition preempted.—
(1) PREEMPTION.—Except as expressly provided by the State Constitution or general law, the Legislature hereby declares that it is occupying the whole field of regulation of firearms and ammunition, including the purchase, sale, transfer, taxation, manufacture, ownership, possession, storage, and transportation thereof, to the exclusion of all existing and future county, city, town, or municipal ordinances or any administrative regulations or rules adopted by local or state government relating thereto. Any such existing ordinances, rules, or regulations are hereby declared null and void.
(2) POLICY AND INTENT.—
(a) It is the intent of this section to provide uniform firearms laws in the state; to declare all ordinances and regulations null and void which have been enacted by any jurisdictions other than state and federal, which regulate firearms, ammunition, or components thereof; to prohibit the enactment of any future ordinances or regulations relating to firearms, ammunition, or components thereof unless specifically authorized by this section or general law; and to require local jurisdictions to enforce state firearms laws.

(b) It is further the intent of this section to deter and prevent the violation of this section and the violation of rights protected under the constitution and laws of this state related to firearms, ammunition, or components thereof, by the abuse of official authority that occurs when enactments are passed in violation of state law or under color of local or state authority.

In other words, municipalities are forbidden from regulating firearms. That's up to the State of Florida.

So, the BOCC does not know the law.  They are wasting our time and money.

They should also be aware they do not need to be hiring the Prevention Institute for crime prevention.  We have a pretty good resource right here in Hillsborough County.  Let me introduce you to the Hillsborough County Sheriff, and Making Hillsborough Safer.

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Crime Reduction Results

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is proud to let you know that our deputies are making a difference in the quality of life in our county. For the fourth straight year, crime is down in our county.

...

The hard work is paying off. In 2012, the total number of crimes, when compared to 2011, was reduced by 7.1 percent.

And consider this: there are 1.6 deputies per 1,000 residents in Hillsborough County. That is lower than the national average for law enforcement agencies of 2.5 officers per capita. While Hillsborough County’s population grows, the number of deputies on the street has not. That means the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office are working harder and working smarter to reduce crime.

Seems like a better spend of our money to use what we have, that works, rather than pay some consultants.

Stop wasting time and money.