As coronavirus numbers climb across Florida, state officials banned the consumption of alcohol at bars statewide. Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn said the local police department won’t enforce that rule because he says the state’s job.
"The mayor of Ocala is not telling bars to open. It is not the responsibility of the Ocala Police Department to check if bars are open or closed," Guinn said.
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It's been almost a week since the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation ordered bars to shut down again to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Guinn said he wants bar and restaurant owners to follow the law but he is not making the police department enforce it.
"We're still fighting real crime, so for us to get a call that someone is open, we would instruct that person to call the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and report that," Guinn said. "That's not our job. We're not doing that."
A spokesperson for DBPR confirmed their agents are working across Florida and investigating complaints against businesses, restaurants, or bars not following the state's orders. If need be, the agency shuts them down.
The DBPR spokesperson said since last Friday when bars were ordered to close again, it received 10 complaints against businesses in Marion County. The spokesperson said all of them were investigated and none were told to shut down.
This comes as the city prepares for the holiday weekend. The mayor said local bars are following the rules.
“They’re very serious about this. The bar owners I’ve talked to (have said), ‘I’m not going to open and risk losing my license.’ They follow the law,” Guinn said.
He said businesses that don't follow the orders could get in trouble with the state.
"It's up to the bar to decide whether they want to follow the law or not. They just have to deal with the consequences of opening up," he said.
He adds the city won't use its manpower to keep businesses in check and will instead leave that up to the state.
“If someone has a concern about that, call them and let them know. And if they choose to do something about it, that’s up to them. It’s not the police department’s job,” Guinn said.