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No gun for animal control officer
Josey1
Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
No gun for animal control officer NORTH PORT -- Crawling through the mucky culvert pipe, coaxing an injured dog to freedom, Win Sell emerged wet and slimy with the dying dog in his arms. Working thousands of calls as North Port Animal Control officer each year, Sell wrestles alligators, removes wounded animals from fire-scorched woods, captures nonvenomous snakes and traps raccoons.While he never minds getting dirty or putting himself in harm's way to rescue an animal, even Sell realizes he needs to protect himself. North Port City Commissioners say he can, but to a limited extent.Currently, Sell, who is North Port's first full-time animal control officer, either has to use a blunt instrument to kill the animal or call in a police officer or a fish-and-game official.He also brings suffering animals to his North Port Estates home and animal refuge and kills them humanely with his 22. caliber rifle.Two months ago, Sell requested the right to bear arms in case an animal was threatening him in a remote area of the city. He also wanted it for instances when "human safety" was at risk in an animal attack, or if an animal was severely wounded, so he could destroy it humanely.Before Sell had the chance to make his request, Al Mitchell, a member of the statewide animal protection group Luprine, told commissioners then that state laws don't permit animal control officers to bear arms.Commissioners tabled the item until they received further information.At their Tuesday meeting, commissioners were still perplexed about why Sell could not carry a gun."He's got a 22. caliber weapon, it's not a bazooka," said Commissioner Richard Lockhart. The type of gun Sell wanted to carry would have used only frangible bullets that break up on impact, vastly reducing overall penetration and ricochets.City Attorney Rob Robinson told commissioners that the local police department isn't equipped with what he believed are the proper weapons to humanely kill animals. He said a shotgun or handguns carried by local officer's in their vehicles were not good choices to destroy animals.As they listened to a new request to allow Sell to chemically subdue an animal with a tranquilizer gun, commissioners were again concerned the law would restrict him from doing his job.Commissioners asked staff to research if Sell would need a new job classification if he were approved to carry a gun."Win responded to more than 1,000 calls last year," said North Port Police Chief David Yurchuck. "That doesn't include the hundreds of follow up trips he makes."Although he is an animal control officer, Sell is a certified ranger. This training and certification allows him to bear arms, however, his current position does not.Because state law is expected to change next year, City Manager Mark Roath suggested commissioners wait for the new guidelines before ruling on the request. City codes cannot be more lenient than state statutes.You can e-mail Elaine Allen-Emrich at eallen@sun-herald.com By ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/121401/tp3np3.htm
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