‘This is the time to save lives’ Florida Sheriff stands up to Donald Trump over guns

US President said authorities are committed to tackling mental health issues after 17 people were shot dead and dozens more injured after yesterday’s shooting. 

But Sheriff of Broward County, Scott Israel, said it was the “time to save lives” as he called for tougher gun rules for those with mental health issues.

He said: “My message to the community, to Broward County is simple. Your elected officials, your commissioners, your state reps, your state senators. Make sure these are people that are not worrying about mileage rates, and saving money.  

“This is the time to save lives. We need more law enforcement, we need more deputy’s. This isn’t the time to worry about how many dollars might be saved if we don’t have a deputy here or a police officer here. 

“This is nationwide. We need more heroes and more first responders. Not les first responders. 

“I know many states have different terms to help our mentally ill and we all pray for our mentally ill, we pray for them to recover. 

“We all know someone, or a family who are affected by someone suffering from mental illness. The Baker Act in Florida allows law enforcement or medical professional to confine a person involuntarily while they get examined and looked at. But you need a reason, you need to be able to articulate that they are a threat to someone else or to themselves. 

“What I am asking our lawmakers to do… to give police the power if they see something on social media, if they see graphic pictures of rifles… If they see something, horrific language… We need to have the power to take that person and bring them before mental health professionals at that particular time, involuntarily and have them examined.

“People are going to be concerned about their rights, as am I, but what about the rights of these students, what about the rights of young kids that go to schools with book bags and pencils, don’t they have the right to be protected by the United States Government to the best of our ability and that is what we will be doing.”

Florida Governor Rick Scott  has said he would be sitting down with state leaders to discuss how those with mental illness “never touch a gun”.

But dhis address to the nation Mr Trump did not mention gun control directly. Instead he vowed to make schools safer and made a series of veiled references to children’s safety.

He said: “Every parent, teacher and child who is hurting so badly. We are here for you, whatever you need, whatever we can do to ease your pain.

“We are all joined together as one American family and your suffering is our burden also.

“No child, no teacher should ever be in danger in an American school. No parent should ever have to fear for their sons and daughter when they kiss them goodbye in the morning.”

Yesterday the US President tweeted: “So many signs that the Florida shooter was mentally disturbed, even expelled from school for bad and erratic behaviour.

“Neighbours and classmates knew he was a big problem. Must always report such instances to authorities, again and again!”

Just two weeks ago Mr Trump signed a bill into law rolling back an Obama-era regulation that made it harder for people with mental illness to purchase a gun.

The rule meant people receiving social welfare checks for mental illnesses and people deemed unfit to handle their own financial affairs would be added to the national background check database.