>> THE LOCAL STATION NEWSFOURJAX. ♪
NEWSFOURJAX. ♪ >> CRITICISM OF SHERIFF MIKE
WILLIAMS FOR MOVING FROM
JACKSONVILLE, THE NASSAU
COUNTY. AND HE RESPONDS TO
QUESTIONS FROM NEWS FOR JAX
REPORTER JIM PIGGOTT.
>> THEY BELIEVE THAT JUST
ISN’T LIKE HAVING YOUR SHARE
OF MOVE OUT OF TOWN. THEY THEY
SAY IT. IT SHOWS IN
JACKSONVILLE. IS IT SAFE? WILL
YOU COME? COMPLETELY DISAGREE.
>> SHERIFF WILLIAMS HAD MUCH
MORE TO SAY ABOUT KEEPING THE
CITY SAFE AND ABOUT IS MOVED
TO A SUBURB A YEAR AGO.
>> HE TOLD HIM HE BELIEVES
WHAT HE DID IS LEGAL. THE CITY
ATTORNEY WILL ISSUE AN OPINION
AFTER GIVING THE SHERIFF AN
OPPORTUNITY TO ARGUE HIS POINT
OF VIEW.
>> UNDER CITY LAW, THE
JACKSONVILLE CHARTER, THE
SHERIFF MUST LIVE IN DUVAL
COUNTY. AND IF THE SHERIFF
MOVES AWAY, THE OFFICE BECOMES
AUTOMATICALLY THEY CUT. JIM IS
JOINING US LIVE FROM DOWNTOWN
WITH MORE ON WHAT WILLIAMS AND
OTHERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS.
JIM.
>> YOU KNOW, THE MOST THING
THAT I’M HEARING DOWNTOWN
TODAY IS CRITICISM OF THE
SHERIFF DEMOCRATS AS EXPECTED.
THEY ACTUALLY WANT TO SEE A
SPECIAL ELECTION IN AUGUST
BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THAT THIS
HAS BEEN VACATED. REPUBLICANS
IN THE MAYOR. WELL, THEY ARE
SUPPORTING THE SHERIFF IN
STATEMENTS TODAY, BUT THEY’RE
REALLY NOT SAYING ANYTHING
ABOUT THE LEGALITY OF THE
MOVE.
>> SHERIFF MIKE WILLIAMS, A
STATE LAW ALLOWS HIM TO LIVE
OUT OF THE COUNTY WHILE CITY
RULES OR THE CHARTER QUITE
DIFFERENT AND SAY HE MUST LIVE
WITHIN DUVAL COUNTY OR THE
OFFICE IS VACANT. MUCH TO THE
SURPRISE OF MANY PEOPLE. THE
SHERIFF SOLD HIS JACKSONVILLE
HOME A YEAR AGO AND WE ARE NOW
JUST LEARNING ABOUT IT. I’VE
BEEN TALKING TO PEOPLE
THROUGHOUT JACKSONVILLE ABOUT
THIS LIKE DARRELL IN
RIVERSIDE.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT OF
THE SHERIFF MOVING OUT? I
DON’T THINK IS RIGHT. WHY NOT?
BECAUSE OF SHIFT IS AS GOOD.
HE’S BEEN HERE IN
JACKSONVILLE. BUT SHERIFF
WILLIAMS DOESN’T BELIEVE
THAT’S THE CASE AND SAYS
CHANGES IN STATE LAW ALLOW FOR
HIS MOVE.
>> HE TOLD ME TODAY THAT HE’S
IN DISCUSSION WITH CITY
LAWYERS AND SHOULD GET AN
ANSWER THIS WEEK. THE SHERIFF
DID SAY AGAIN TODAY THAT HE
DOESN’T SEE ANY SCENARIO WHERE
HE WOULD RESIGN A LOT OF
PEOPLE AND YOU READ THE
COMMENTS AND SEEING THE
COMMENTS.
>> THEY BELIEVE THAT JUST
ISN’T RIGHT. HAVING YOUR
SHERIFF MOVE OUT OF TOWN. THEY
THEY SAY IT SHOWS IN
JACKSONVILLE IS UNSAFE. WHAT
WOULD YOU COME? AND COMPLETELY
DISAGREE. LOOK, WE’RE A BIG
METROPOLITAN AREA. SO THERE’S
A LOT OF OVERLAP WITH PEOPLE
WHO WORK AND LIVE.
>> IN JACKSONVILLE THAT
OUTSIDE OF JACKSONVILLE AND
AND JSO ME INCLUDED A WORKING
EVERY SINGLE DAY. WHAT KEEPS
SAFE? AND I THINK THERE’S,
EXAMPLE, AFTER EXAMPLE, THAT
EVERY DAY. SO I DISAGREE WITH
THE CITY COUNCIL IS ASKING
CITY LAWYERS FOR ANSWERS AS
WELL.
>> I HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO
SEVERAL MEMBERS, BOTH
REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRAT WHO
SAY THE SHERIFF NEEDS TO
RETHINK HIS DECISION. YOU
BELIEVE THAT IT’S WRONG THAT
HE DIDN’T MOVE. THAT OFFICE
HAS BEEN VACATE?
>> YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WAS
MISTAKE AND I HOPE CORRECTED
MOVES BACK TO JACKSONVILLE.
HE’S HE’S A GOOD MAN. AND I I
WANT TO SEE HIM FINISH UP HIS
TERM. THIS IS A THIS IS A
COULD BE A TEMPEST IN A TEAPOT
FIELD. QUICKLY MOVE IN, DO THE
RIGHT THING. AS A CITY COUNCIL
MEMBER. WHEN REGISTER FILE TO
WHILE UNDER AND SO I THINK
THAT THAT’S THE EXPECTATION.
AND I THINK THAT’S WHERE ALL
FORMER SHERIFF AND CURRENT
CONGRESSMAN JOHN RUTHERFORD
WAS AT THE SAME MEMORIAL DAY
EVENT THIS MORNING AS THE
SHERIFF. SO I ASKED HIM WHAT
HE THINKS OF THE SITUATION
THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SAME WAY I
DO ABOUT CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS
NOT LIVING IN THEIR DISTRICT.
YOU I WOULD I WOULD LIVE IN A
DISTRICT THAT ICE STORM AND
THAT IS A QUESTION PUT TO THE
SHERIFF TODAY.
>> WOULD HE CONSIDER MOVING
BACK TO PUT AN END TO THIS
CONTROVERSY FOR ANY SCENARIO
WHERE YOU CAN MOVE BACK? BUT
WE SURE WHAT HAPPENED AND
COULD BE THERE COULD BE. SO
AGAIN, AS PART OF THE
DISCUSSION THAT WE’RE HAVING,
THEY WILL, YOU KNOW, WILL
CONCLUDE THIS WILL WRAP THIS
UP PRETTY QUICKLY. NOT GOING
COUNCIL’S OFFICE. SO WE
TALKING TOMORROW.
>> REACTION IS STILL POURING
IN. THE NORTHSIDE COALITION
SAY THE CITY’S TOP COP IS
VIOLATING THE LETTER AND
SPIRIT OF THE LAW. MAYOR LENNY
CURRY TWEETING THAT THE
SHERIFF CARES DEEPLY ABOUT
THIS COMMUNITY. THE DUVAL
DEMOCRATIC PARTY SAYS THE
SHERIFF HAS ABANDONED HIS
ELECTED OFFICE AND IT WANTS A
SPECIAL ELECTION WHILE THE
LOCAL REPUBLICAN PARTY IS
SAYING WILLIAMS CONTINUES TO
SERVE OUR CITY WITH THE MOST
DISTINCTION AND
PROFESSIONALISM.
>> YOU KNOW, THERE WAS ONE
QUESTION I DID ASK THE SHERIFF
AND THAT’S BASICALLY WHY DID
YOU TELL ANYBODY ABOUT THIS?
HE REALLY DIDN’T HAVE AN
ANSWER FOR THAT. BASICALLY
SAYING HE THOUGHT HE WAS IN
THE LAW AND THAT’S WAS
HAPPENING THERE. OF COURSE,
THIS WEEK, WE’RE WAITING FOR
THAT OPINION. AND THE MINUTE
WE GET THAT, WE’RE GOING TO
PASS IT ON TO YOU. WE’RE LIVE
DOWNTOWN AT THE SHERIFF’S
OFFICE. JIM PIGGOTT CHANNEL 4,
THE LOCAL STATION. JIM, THANK
YOU.
>> OUR NEWS 4 JAX INSIDERS
HAVE BEEN VERY VOCAL IN THEIR
OPINIONS ON THE SHERIFF’S
MOVE. TARIK IS JOINING A STARK
PEOPLE SEEM TO BE DIVIDED
ABOUT ALL OF THIS VERY MUCH SO
TIME, YOU KNOW, NEWS 4 JAX
INSIDERS ARE SPOKEN, BUT THEY
ARE NOT IN AGREEMENT. IF
SHERIFF WILLIAMS MOVE IS A BAD
THING, INSIDER SAYS AND THINKS
THAT THE MOVE IS ODD SAYING
QUOTE, SO JACKSON’S OKAY TO
WORK BUT NOT TO LIVE GOING
BACK. SHUNS OF OUR SHERIFF,
THE HEAD OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICERS. HE DEFINITELY KNOW
SOMETHING BUT OTHER INSIDERS
LIKE RANGER ONE DON’T SEE A
PROBLEM WITH THIS MOVIE SAYS,
QUOTE, AFTER CONSOLIDATION IN
1968, THE CITY LIMITS INCLUDED
ALL OF DUVAL COUNTY TODAY. 54
YEARS LATER, ALTHOUGH NOT
OFFICIALLY THE JAX
METROPOLITAN AREA EXTENDS FAR
BEYOND COUNTY LINES. I HAVE NO
PROBLEM WITH WHERE HE NOW
LIVES. AN INSIDER COMMON
SENSE. NO MORE SAYS, QUOTE,
HE’S TERM IS ALMOST OVER. I’M
SURE IS LOOKING THE FUTURE FOR
HIM AND HIS FAMILY HOUSES ARE
GETTING UP SNAP FAST. IF HE
AND HIS WIFE FOUND WHEN THEY
LIGHT AND TIME IS OF ESSENCE
IN THE CURRENT MARKET, THEN
YOU SHOULD BUY WHAT HE WANTS.
IT’S TRUE. MANY OF JSO
OFFICERS RESIDE IN OTHER
COUNTIES. WHY CAN T IF YOU
WANT TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
WITH SMOOTH. WE WANT TO HEAR