PINELLAS COUNTY, Florida (WFLA): Penalties for children seen carrying guns in Florida may soon be harsher. The entire House is anticipated to consider HB 1181 this week after it is approved by the committee. The Senate has received a bill that is comparable to this.
Bob Gualtieri, the sheriff of Pinellas County, claims the issue is the worst he has ever seen and contributed to the plan’s development.
Former prosecutor and state representative Berny Jacques (R) of the 59th District, who supported a bill to toughen the penalties for minors discovered with guns, stated, “The current system is way too forgiving, and it’s a slap on the wrist for some very dangerous offenses.”
Law enforcement in the area claims that the situation is getting out of hand. Gualtieri stated that the amount of children possessing firearms and committing crimes is “probably the worst I’ve ever seen.” He contends that tougher penalties for teenagers found in possession of illicit firearms could avert further tragedies.
The sheriff brought up the tragedy that occurred on Christmas Eve when a young mother was shot and killed by her 14-year-old brother following a fight with his 15-year-old brother over Christmas gifts.
Both teenage guys had been apprehended with guns in the past, according to the sheriff. One child, at the age of twelve, was arrested for a misdemeanor minor in possession of a firearm. Thus, had it been a crime with the appropriate severity of penalties—I don’t have a crystal ball, so I can’t say if it would have—but to put it this way, it would have put us in a better position to have attempted to stop it, Gualtieri said.
To create the legislation, the sheriff collaborated with parliamentarians. Should they be found guilty, a teen’s first gun-related offense would be classified as a third-degree felony rather than a first-degree misdemeanor.
“Some people believe that we are treating these young people too harshly, but I believe that the current system fails the young people,” Representative Jacques remarked.
This is excessively harsh, according to many. Let’s face it, these children’s lives depend on us taking care of issues as soon as possible. Save the lives of the law-abiding citizens as well, since one of these would-be gangsters would eventually hurt them. Should they not receive the lesson early on, many of these kids will wind up in state prison, where serving time in a detention or residential institution is far preferable to 10, 15, 25, or life sentences.
