TONIGHT. WE WILL, OF COURSE, CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THIS DEVELOPING STORY. JOY, ALICIA,
THANK YOU.
>>JOY PURDY: ALSO TONIGHT, ON
THE 10 O’CLOCK NEWS WE ARE
RECEIVING SO MUCH REACTION TO
A PROPOSAL FROM JACKSONVILLE
SHERIFF TK WATERS TO PUT 80
NEW POLICE OFFICERS ON THE
STREET.
>> IT COULD BE GOOD, BUT IT
ALSO CAN BE BAY. LOOK AT THE
BUDGET.
>> WEATHER WHAT IS THE
COMMUNITY OFFICERS KNOW THE
COMMUNITY?
>> DURING TODAY’S BUDGET
MEETING, SHERIFF’S WATERS
PROPOSED TO PAY FOR THE
ADDITIONAL OFFICERS TO OR A
GRANT FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT
OF JUSTICE AND THE
JACKSONVILLE CITY FUNDED NEWS
FOR JAX REPORTER ERIK AVANIER
JOINING US LIVE AFTER SPEAKING
WITH PEOPLE WHO LIVE.
>>JOY PURDY: IN AN AREA OF
JACKSONVILLE, ERIC WAS ONE OF
THE HIGHEST CRIME RATES.
>> JACKSONVILLE 3 TO 209, ZIP
CODE CONSISTENTLY HAVE ONE OF
THE HIGHEST CRIME RATES IN THE
CITY. SO WE WENT 2 BUSINESSES
ALONG MONCRIEF ROAD TO GET
REACTIONS TO SHERIFF’S
PROPOSAL OF HIRING 18 NEW
OFFICERS TO PATROL THE
STREETS.
>> 3 TO 209. IT’S THE POOR,
ZIP CODE IN THE JACKSONVILLE
METROPOLITAN AREA WITH THE
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME OF
ABOUT $24,000.
>> EVERY YEAR, THE CRIME RATE
IN THIS AREA IS CONSISTENTLY
HIGH. PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WORK
WITHIN THIS ZIP CODE SAY LOWER
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES IN THIS
AREA ARE A DRIVING FORCE
BEHIND THE HIGHER CRIME RATE.
>> AFTER SHERIFF TK WATERS
ENOUGH TO TO HIRE FOR A TEAM
PATROL OFFICERS TO WORK THE
STREETS ALL OVER JACKSONVILLE.
I WENT TO THE ONE PLACE WITHIN
THE 3 TO 209, ZIP CODE
EVERYDAY PEOPLE ENGAGE IN
CONVERSATION ABOUT CRIME AND
OTHER ISSUES AFFECTING THEIR
COMMUNITY. A NEIGHBORHOOD
BARBER SHOPS. HONEST OPINIONS
ABOUT THE PROPOSAL. TORRES
WILLIAMS, FORMER SHOP, A NEW
OFFICERS IS NOT A BAD IDEA IF
THEY HAVE THAT CAN RELATE.
>> SO THE COMMUNITY AND
UNDERSTAND.
>> SITUATION AND THE PAIN THAT
GOING ON AND ABLE EARN HIS
BUTLER IN OTHERS. WE SPOKE
WITH SAY
>> CRIME IN THIS AREA COULD BE
GREATLY REDUCED. IF THE
SHERIFF FOCUS MORE RECRUITING
AND HIRING QUALIFIED OFFICERS
FROM WITHIN THE 3 TO 209, ZIP
CODE. HE SAYS ON DAY ONE THOSE
OFFICERS WOULD HAVE A BETTER
UNDERSTANDING OF WHY VIOLENT
CRIMES ARE HAPPENING HERE. AND
THE PEOPLE INVOLVED.
>> YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY GREW UP
IN THIS COMMUNITY NOW IN
POLICE AND COMMUNITY, IT’S
HARD TO POLICE, SOMEONE THAT
YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT.
THE PROPOSAL CALLS FOR THE 80
ADDITIONAL OFFICERS TO BE
SPREAD OUT OVER THE ENTIRE
CITY ARE. RAUL OFFICER SHOULD
BE ASSIGNED TO AREAS THAT
OBVIOUSLY NEED MORE POLICE
PRESENCE. NORTH SIDE. WEST
SIDE.
>> YOU KNOW, WITH ALL MAJOR
ISSUES STUFF LIKE COMING UP
>> THE THE KNOW, THE LEFT OF
THE WILL BE.
>> HERE AT CUTS LINES AND
TRIMS BARBERSHOP OWNER SAID
RICK TURNER HERE ALL ABOUT THE
LATEST STORIES OF VIOLENCE IN
THIS AREA FROM CUSTOMERS. WERE
YOUR WISH YOUR OPINION OR
>> ADDITIONAL OFFICERS IN THE
STREETS? I DEFINITELY THINK WE
NEED ALL THAT PLUS LOW.
>> PEOPLE OUT HERE TODAY, MAN
IS. IS REALLY HARD FOR PEOPLE
OUT HERE, YOU KNOW, THINKING
THAT THEY HAVE DEAL WITH
SITUATIONS ON THEIR YOU KNOW,
WAIT A LONG WAIT TIMES. THEY
WHEN THEY DO CALL NOW A LOCAL
HELP POLICE ASSISTANT SOME
TIME NOT SHOWING UP AT ALSO.
>> I THINK WE NEED 80 PLUS
OFFICES SAYS WHY NEED A SAYS
MORE MONEY NEEDS TO GO INTO
PROGRAMS TO HELP PEOPLE LEARN
A TRADE SO THEY DON’T HAVE TO
TURN TO CRIME TO MAKE MONEY.
LOOK AT THE BUDGET. WEATHER
WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY GETTING?
WHERE THERE ARE RESOURCES FROM
THE CITY’S BUDGET? PUT MORE
MONEY INTO YOUR CITY, NOT
POLICE. WE NEED THE POLICE BUT
THEIR RESPONDERS BUT NOT
PREVENTERS. SO WE CITY
COUNCILMAN IN OUR AREA STEP
UP.
>> OPEN UP THE CENTER’S, PUT
THE MONEY WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO
OUT.
>> LET’S LET’S LET’S WORK
TOGETHER. THAT’S LITERALLY
WHAT IT TAKES.
>> DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT
ADDING A NEW OFFICERS TO THE
STREETS IS NOT GOING TO BE A
SIMPLE PROCESS. THIS IS GOING
TO JUST HAPPEN OVERNIGHT
BECAUSE FIRST OF THEY MUST BE
RECRUITED. THEN THEY HAVE TO
BE TRAINED AND EVEN WANT THE
TRAIN IF THEY’RE NOT FROM THE
AREA THAT THEY’RE EXPECTED TO
PATROL GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE
BIT MORE TIME TO GET TO KNOW
THAT AREA AND WHO LIVE IN THAT
THOSE AREAS REPORTING LIVE.