Mediaboss Marketing

Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly talks gun stores, quarantine and jail releases with retired Marine Lt. Colonel Oliver North.

Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said in an interview with Oliver North that if there was an order in Florida to shut down gun stores during the coronavirus pandemic he would not enforce it.

There is no such order, but the hypothetical question was part of the recent interview by North, a retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, as part of Norths Press On America podcast.

North was a main figure in the Iran-Contra affair and was fired as a national security aide in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan shortly after the scandal became public. North was convicted of three charges but the convictions were subsequently thrown out and the charges dismissed. North then went on to become a best-selling author and hosted a military documentary on Fox News.

North was a special guest for Stalys reelection campaign kickoff in November. Republican Stalys only announced challenger so far is Democrat Larry Jones, whom Staly defeated in 2016 by a margin of 54 percent of the vote to 39 percent.

In the podcast, North asked Staly if there had been any effort in Florida and particularly in Flagler County to close gun stores as there have been in some places around the country.

Closing gun stores has triggered controversy and legal fights in some other places, including Los Angeles, Texas and New Jersey.

The answer is absolutely not, Staly said. In Flagler County I'll never let that happen and if they were to pass it I am not going to enforce it.

Staly went on to say he was a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment. He also talked about some police departments that have had large numbers of officers in quarantine either because officers became infected with the virus or have been exposed to others with the virus. Some law enforcement officers have died of exposure to the virus, including one deputy each at the Broward Sheriffs Office and the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office.

Staly, who leads an agency with about 320 employees including about 200 sworn law enforcement officers, said the coronavirus could idle an entire department

If anytime the gun shops should be open is now, because some smaller communities are going to lose their police force and so then who's going to protect you, Staly said. I hope that doesnt happen in my agency or any agency across the country.

North asked Staly about parts of Flagler County sometimes being referred to as the Sixth Borough of New York,

Staly said many Palm Coast residents are from New York and New Jersey because when ITT developed the city it heavily marketed to those northeastern states.

North asked if Flagler County was seeing a recent influx of residents from New York and New Jersey. The states are among hot zones that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered residents from to quarantine when they arrive in Florida.

The quick answer is yes, Staly said. We had a resort here that marketed to New York and New Jersey when you change your view to self isolate come to our resort. Probably great marketing but it didnt help to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Staly did not name the resort and could not be reached for comment for this story.

North also asked Staly about another coronavirus caused phenomena, the release of inmates by some jails and prisons across the nation in hopes of preventing an outbreak behind bars. Volusia County and St. Johns County have both released inmates as part of a strategy to help prevent an outbreak.

Staly said he has plenty of room to spread inmates out at his jail, which is only about half full. He added he was not second-guessing the decisions made by jails which are near or over capacity but he would not do it, saying releasing inmates would endanger the community.

I think thats the wrong decision thats being made, Staly said. I also have the luxury that my jail is only at 50 percent capacity. I can move and spread inmates out if i need to but other facilities are at capacity or over capacity. Im not second-guessing decisions that were made.

DON'T MISS AN EPISODE, SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Google Play

View original post here:
Flagler sheriff Rick Staly interviewed by Oliver North - Daytona Beach News-Journal