>> NOW TO A NEWS, 4 JAX. I TEAM INVESTIGATION OF SAFETY CONCERNS AT A TROUBLED
APARTMENT COMPLEX ON
JACKSONVILLE’S EASTSIDE. NOW
DETECTIVES ARE INVESTIGATING A
HOMICIDE OF THE PROPERTY.
>> LAST WEEKEND, POLICE SAY A
KILLER SHOT A MAN WHO WAS IN
THE PARKING LOT OF THE
DOWNTOWN EAST APARTMENTS
FORMALLY KNOWN AS FRANKLIN
ARMS. THE OWNERS SAY THEY’RE
WORKING TO BEEF UP SAFETY
MEASURES. BUT FORMER SECURITY
GUARDS HIRED TO PROTECT THE
COMMUNITY CLAIM THIS KILLING
COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED.
>> MANY LOST THEIR IT ANGERS
ME AND ANGERS ME EVERY DAY.
>> NEWS 4 JAX. I TEAM
INVESTIGATOR VIC MICOLUCCI
SHOWS US WHY THAT SECURITY
CONTRACTOR DECIDED TO STOP
WORKING THERE A MONTH BEFORE
THE LATEST SHOOTING.
>> PATROLS LIKE THIS ONE. A
THING OF THE PAST THAT THE
DOWNTOWN EAST APARTMENTS
BECAUSE EXCELSIOR SECURITY HAS
PULLED ITS OFFICERS FROM THE
PROPERTY.
>> THEIR SAFETY MATTERS MORE
TO ME THAN A PAYCHECK. I WILL
NEVER JEOPARDIZE MY OFFICERS
LIFE OR DOLLAR. THAT’S SHAWN
SAUNDERS WHO SAYS THIS
EASTSIDE JACKSONVILLE COMPLEX
WAS NOT SAFE EVEN FOR HIS
ARMED SECURITY TEAM. IT’S A
DANGEROUS PROPERTY. IT
FRANKLY, IT’S ONE OF THE MOST
DANGEROUS PROPERTIES THAT
WE’VE EVER WORKED WHILE THERE
WE FOUND A BULLET HOLES IN THE
SIGN OUT FRONT. THAT’S AN
ENTRANCE AND THE OTHER SIDE,
THE SAUNDERS, ONE OF THE TOP
MANAGERS FOR THE JACKSONVILLE
BASED SECURITY CONTRACTOR
TELLS US THE NEW MANAGEMENT
FOR THE TROUBLED PROPERTY
HIRED EXCELSIOR IN OCTOBER FOR
LIMITED PATROLS, BUT HE CLAIMS
HIS GUARDS AND SAW EVERYTHING
FROM DRUG DEALS TO FIGHTS 2
ARMED SUSPECTS AND HE WARNED
THE MANAGEMENT OF PROPERTY,
THE MORE HELP AND NO LESS THAN
2 SECURITY OFFICERS GUARDING
IT AT ANY TIME. THE 2 SIDES
DID NOT COME TO AN AGREEMENT
AND EXCELS HERE CANCELED ITS
SECURITY SERVICE WITH
MANAGEMENT IN JANUARY. THEY
WERE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT
SAVING A DOLLAR THAN THEY WERE
ABOUT ACTUALLY FIXING THE
PROPERTY. THE FEAR WAS THAT
SOMEONE WOULD GET HURT OR
KILLED. AND OVER THE WEEKEND
THAT HAPPENED, THE WORST-CASE
SCENARIO.
>> A HOMICIDE, SOMEONE SHOT
AND KILLED RIGHT OVER THERE IN
THE PARKING LOT. JACKSONVILLE
POLICE STILL LOOKING FOR
WHOEVER IS RESPONSIBLE.
>> SAUNDERS SAYS THIS TRAGEDY
COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF
OWNERSHIP WITH WITH THESE
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HEIGHTENED
SECURITY FOR PERSPECTIVE, HE
SAYS HE OFFERED TO HAVE 2
ARMED GUARDS ASSIGNED TO THE
PROPERTY FOR 8 HOURS A DAY FOR
$2900 A WEEK.
>> WE TERMINATED SERVICES AND
IN LESS THAN A MONTH LATER,
THERE’S A THERE’S A HOMICIDE.
AND HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT
THAT? SOMEBODY LOST THEIR IT
ANGERS ME.
>> AND ANGERS ME EVERYDAY. THE
NEWS 4 JAX I TEAM REACHED OUT
TO DOWNTOWN EAST OWNERSHIP
THROUGH THEIR MANAGEMENT
COMPANY CALLED OUR GX
VENTURES. A SPOKESPERSON SENT
US AN EMAILED RESPONSE. THEY
SAID IT IS UNFORTUNATE THIS
INCIDENT OCCURRED AT OUR
COMMUNITY PARKING LOT.
HOWEVER, CRIME CAN AND DOES
HAPPEN ANYWHERE. AND YOU ARE
WELL AWARE THAT JACKSONVILLE
HAD ITS SHARE OF VIOLENCE.
MANAGEMENT HAS WORKED
DILIGENTLY WITH BOTH PRIVATE
COURTESY PATROL SERVICES AND
JACKSONVILLE POLICE TO IMPROVE
THE COMMUNITY AND THE
REPUTATION WE INHERITED. THE
MANAGEMENT TEAM POINTED OUT
THAT THEY INSTALLED SECURITY
CAMERAS ON THE PROPERTY, WHICH
WE NOTICED AT THE ENTRANCE AND
THEY SAID THEY ARE WORKING
WITH JACKSONVILLE POLICE TO
INCREASE PATROLS TO DETER
CRIME. YOUR SAUNDERS SAYS IT’S
NOT ENOUGH. THE CAMERAS ARE
FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY AT
ALL. THAT DOES IS CAPTURED THE
INCIDENT AND PROVIDE EVIDENCE
AFTER THE FACT IT’S A FALSE
SENSE OF SECURITY.
>> THIS PROPERTY NEEDS TO
INVEST IN PHYSICAL SECURITY
WITH PHYSICAL SECURITY
OFFICERS ON PROPERTY FOR
EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME TO
SHOW THE RESIDENTS THAT THEY
CARE ABOUT THEM, BUT ALSO TO
CLEAN UP THE PROPERTY. IT’S
WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. AND WE
HAVE BEEN VERY OPEN AND
TRANSPARENT ABOUT OUR
INVESTIGATION WITH THE
APARTMENT COMPLEX MANAGEMENT.
I STARTED REACHING OUT TO
THEM.
>> ON MONDAY, THEY HAVE SO FAR
ONLY E-MAIL THAT ONE RESPONSE.
THAT STATEMENT RIGHT THERE,
WHICH I JUST SHOWED YOU. I
HAVE ASKED THEM FOR AN
INTERVIEW ON CAMERA OR ON THE
PHONE. THEY HAVE NOT AGREED TO
THAT. I HAVE ALSO ASKED IF
THERE IS A NEW SECURITY
CONTRACTOR IN PLACE, BUT SO
FAR I HAVE NOT HEARD BACK