Bradenton Housing Authority backtracks on 'No Weapons,' suspends policy until further notice

BRADENTON -- Just four days after approving a "No Weapons" policy for Bradenton Housing Authority employees and to post signs at the entryway of the agency's building at 2002 Martin Luther King Ave. E. preventing the public from entering with weapons, BHA Executive Director Ellis Mitchell Jr. is suspending the policy now under fire by right-to-carry groups.

Mitchell said late Monday that the agency will not be posting signs on any of its buildings or facilities and notified staff that the policy passed by the BHA board on May 12 will not be enforced at this time, "So as to allow our attorney sufficient time to conduct further research on the Florida state laws surrounding the right to bear arms."

Mitchell said the agency received "several" inquiries about the policy that groups say puts the BHA on notice for potentially violating state law.

Sean Caranna, of Florida Carry, in an email to the Bradenton Herald said the BHA and Mitchell "are prohibited from regulating firearms by Florida law. If they attempt to enforce any firearm policy against the public by posting these illegal signs or prohibiting the lawful carry of firearms, we will sue the Housing Authority, the city and Ellis Mitchell Jr. personally in order to protect our members and enforce the law."

Mitchell brought the policy forth to the board after learning that at least two of his employees were armed during the course of work and that former BHA leadership also were routinely armed. The policy was mostly directed toward the employees, but the decision to post signs prohibiting the public from lawfully carrying weapons into the facility raises constitutional issues.

The BHA board approved the policy with comments that the agency and its employees are satisfactorily protected with liability insurance and the employees didn't need to carry weapons.

Mitchell believes that Florida law does allow employers to set employee policies, and those policies can restrict employees to leaving their firearms in their vehicles. However, right-to-carry groups say the notion to deploy security wands and place signs banning all weapons into the facility by the general public is whole separate issue.

Mark Young, Herald urban affairs reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7041 or follow him on Twitter@urbanmark2014.

This story was originally published May 16, 2016 at 9:36 PM with the headline "Bradenton Housing Authority backtracks on 'No Weapons,' suspends policy until further notice ."