‘That is your right, ‘ Sheriff Ken Mascara says. ‘But…’
ST. LUCIE COUNTY — A number of business owners plan to settle in and ride out Hurricane Irma protecting their property with a firearm, Sheriff Ken Mascara said.
“That is your right, ” Mascara said at a news conference Saturday night. “You can do that.”
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But the Sheriff’s Office urges business owners planning to do so to call 911 and let a dispatcher know “what you’re doing and who you’re with, ” Mascara said.
“That’s done for our safety, ” the sheriff said. If there’s a law enforcement officer responding to a store, “we want to know if the business owner is armed.”
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The Sheriff’s Office was alerted to the issue after receiving several calls from business owners today, spokesman Bryan Beaty said.
Mascara became aware of even more business owners planning to arm themselves after “driving around the county, stopping into businesses that were open and speaking to the owners, ” Beaty said.
When a 911 dispatcher receives a call from a business owner, he or she will make a note of the address and can relay that information to responding officers if need be, Beaty said.
