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On September 25, after an appeals court overturned Florida’s longtime ban on openly carrying firearms, the state began allowing open carry for the first time since 1987 — meaning people can now legally tote their guns around in many public places across the state.
Owners of private buildings still have the option to prohibit open carry (or, in the case of Publix, openly allow it). But while the new rule carves out exceptions for sensitive locations like schools, police stations, and polling places, there doesn’t appear to be one for public libraries.
As a result, many of Miami-Dade’s public libraries are now places where open carry is allowed.
Ray Baker, director of the Miami-Dade Public Library System, tells New Times via email that the library system, which includes more than 50 libraries across the county, isn’t “aware of any specific exemption from open carry in public libraries, other than for libraries that may fall under a statutory exception such as those provided in section 790.06(12)(a) of the Florida Statutes,” which includes schools, courthouses, police stations, and polling stations. Federal laws also prohibit the carrying of firearms within 1,000 feet of a school.
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Photo by Phillip Pessar/Flickr
In other words, while a Miami-Dade library located near or inside a school could remain gun-free, many of the county’s libraries are now open to gun-toting patrons.
When asked additional questions about how it plans to handle the state’s new open carry rules or which libraries might be exempt under these rules, a spokesperson for the library system offered only a vague email response: “Miami-Dade County consistently works on the application of safety guidelines for all Miami-Dade County facilities and is evaluating if any State or Federal exemptions are applicable to County facilities.”
Angel Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, says that unless there are specific restrictions in place — such as those falling under statutory exemptions — the sheriff’s office will not enforce any restrictions on open carry at public libraries.
“As it goes, there are no specific restrictions for libraries,” Rodriguez says. “As such, we would not be enforcing any open carry prohibitions at libraries.”
Rodriguez adds that while deputies will respond to libraries if someone reports suspicious behavior or any other type of incident, the department does not plan to increase patrols in these locations.
“I don’t foresee it looking any different,” he says.
The September appeals court ruling has left many people across Florida perplexed about the state’s open carry laws. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd even called the state’s gun laws “a little wonky.”
This confusion was evident in previous conversations with employees and managers at Publix, which has controversially allowed open carry inside its Florida stores under the new law.
Do you work at a Miami-Dade public library and have thoughts on the new open carry rules? Email us at editorial@miaminewtimes.com.
