A gun ban for “common areas” in Port St. Lucie, Florida’s Tradition Community Association will not be enforced by Port St. Lucie Police Department.
WPTV reported that the ban applies to “areas [including] the Town Hall, Tradition Square, gazebo, splash pad, tot lot, dog park, parks, trails and stormwater areas throughout the Port St. Lucie development.” Moreover, residents are barred from carrying a gun in said areas for self-defense even if they possess a concealed carry permit.
CBS 12 posted a statement released by Port St. Lucie police wherein they explained that they will not enforce the HOA ban:
The Port St. Lucie Police Department enforces Florida State Law – not private HOA policies or community association rules. PSLPD fully supports the constitutional rights afforded to all law-abiding citizens, including the rights protected under the Second Amendment. Responsible firearm ownership remains a protected right under both the United States Constitution and Florida law, and our officers will continue to uphold and protect those rights while enforcing the law fairly and impartially.
Taylor Welsh lives in the Traditions HOA and believes the ban was instituted in a way that took everyone by surprise.
Welsh said, “As gun owners ourselves we just felt like it was very subversive to do something like this behind everyone’s backs because it seems like no one had prior notice.”
She added, “While this is a safe community, we have seen an uptick in incidents around here where I would personally just feel better if I was allowed to still carry around the parks, the walking trails.”
Port St. Lucie councilman Anthony Bonna (R) says the ban violates Second Amendment rights and he plans to fight it.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and the director of global marketing for Lone Star Hunts. He holds a PhD in Military History with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. He enjoys reading Philosophy and novels by Jack Carr and Nelson DeMille. He is a lever action man in an AR-15 world. Follow him on X: @awrhawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.