>> RIGHT NOW AT 10, WE HAVE YOUR RECAP AND ANALYSIS OF THE JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S DEBATE.
5 CANDIDATES SHARING THE STAGE
TONIGHT ANSWERING YOUR TOP
QUESTIONS ABOUT CRIME POLICE
TRANSPARENCY AND RACE
RELATIONS. THE ONLY TELEVISED
DEBATE FOR THE SHERIFF’S RACE
WRAPPED UP JUST AN HOUR AGO.
NEWS 4 JAX TEAMED UP WITH THE
PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE AT
JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY TO
MAKE IT HAPPEN.
>>JOY PURDY: NEWS 4 JAX ANCHOR
KENT JUSTICE WAS OUR MODERATOR
AND JUST SPOKE WITH OUR NEWS.
4 JAX POLITICAL EXPERT ABOUT
HIS KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM
TONIGHT’S DEBATE. ALSO NEWS 4
JAX REPORTER SCOTT JOHNSON AND
JIM PIGGOTT WERE ALSO THERE.
WE BEGIN WITH JIM LIVE AT
JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY GYM.
>> YOU KNOW, ON OUTSIDE THE
AUDITORIUM WHERE THIS WAS
HELD, THE WRAPPING ALL OF THIS
UP. AND I GOT TO TELL YOU,
THERE WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION
EXCHANGED AMONG THOSE 5
CANDIDATES. AND I THINK ONE
THING THAT WAS VERY VITAL, AN
INTERESTING AND KNEW THAT WE
HAD HEARD WAS A QUESTION PUT
TO THEM BY ARM ON THE
MODERATOR, KENT JUSTICE, ABOUT
RACE. LET’S TALK ABOUT RACE.
>>KENT JUSTICE: NAT WATER WAS
THE FIRST AND ONLY BLACK
SHERIFF OF THE 20TH CENTURY IN
THE STATE OF FLORIDA. ONE OF
YOU IS GOING TO BE THE SECOND
BLACK SHERICKA JACKSON, ONE OF
THE VERY FEW IN THE HISTORY OF
FLORIDA. SO AS SHERIFF, WHAT
WOULD YOU DO ABOUT RACE
RELATIONS IN DEVELOPING TRUST
BETWEEN JACKSONVILLE POLICE IN
THE BLACK COMMUNITY? SO I
THINK THERE’S A
>> I THINK THERE’S A BELIEF
THAT WE DON’T GET ALONG WITH
WITH OUR AFRICAN-AMERICAN, A
BLACK COMMUNITY I’M A GUY THAT
I BELIEVE IN SAID DON’T TALK.
I BELIEVE IN GOING OUT AND
MEETING PEOPLE. I BELIEVE IN
BEING ACCESSIBLE. I’VE BEEN
ACCESSIBLE MY ENTIRE I MEET
WITH PEOPLE THAT MAY BE AN
ADVERSARY. A LOT OF TIME TO
GET DONE. TALKING WERE WORKER
ADVOCATES FOR ONE ANOTHER AND
WE’RE FRIENDS AND I THINK IT
REQUIRES THAT REQUIRES US TO
GET CLOSER.
>> TO OUR COMMUNITY, IT’S
IMPORTANT THAT OUR NECK SHARE.
>> HAVE HAVE THE.
>> THE PULSE OF THE COMMUNITY.
I’VE BEEN IN THE TRENCHES MY
ENTIRE CAREER, BUT
PARTICULARLY OVER THE LAST
YEAR AND A HALF RIGHT NOW, WE
HAVE 2 CITIES IN ONE AND YOU
CAN YOU HAVE A LEADER, THEY
HAVE TO BE BOLD ENOUGH TO
SPEAK THE TRUTH. THE TRUTH OF
THE MATTER IS THERE ARE
COMMUNITIES ALL OVER OUR CITY
THAT HAS A DISTRUST FOR THE
POLICE. THAT’S UNACCEPTABLE
AND WE HAVE TO ADDRESS IT. SO
RACIAL ISSUES. WE DO HAVE
RACIAL ISSUES AND WE HAVE TO
ADDRESS IT. YES. SO THERE IS A
DIVIDE IN THAT WE MUST FIRST
IDENTIFY PROBLEMS. WE’RE GOING
TO TRY TO FIX THE PROBLEM. AND
THAT COMES THAT WE NEED TO
BUILD TRUST A RELATIONSHIP.
>> THE ACCOUNTABLE FROM THE
TOP. BE ACCESSIBLE TO THE
WHOLE COMMUNITY HAVE
COMPASSION ABOUT HOW WE GO
ABOUT ONE OUT OF JOB AND THEN
BEING TRANSPARENT,
COMMUNICATIONS AND PROCESSES.
I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS WHY
SHERIFF LEVEL WAS SO
SUCCESSFUL WHEN HE WAS SHERIFF
BECAUSE HE WAS FROM THE
NEIGHBORHOOD. HE UNDERSTOOD
THAT TO BE SURE YOU HAVE TO BE
WILLING TO GO EVERYWHERE TO
SERVE EVERYONE. THE TRUST
BETWEEN THE JACKSONVILLE
SHERIFF’S OFFICE AND THE
PUBLIC HAS BEEN BROKEN FOR
DECADES. FOLKS.
>> WE HAVEN’T DONE ENOUGH AS
AN AGENCY TO REGAIN THAT TRUST
ON THE OPPOSED THE PUBLIC
ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE INSIDE
THE JETS WERE SHERIFF OFFICE
WHERE THE BODY OF YOUR PEERS,
FORT MYERS IS DOING IT. ST.
PETERSBURG, ORLANDO, TAMPA AND
ATLANTA HAS GOTTEN ON BOARD
WITH THESE INITIATIVES. ALSO,
WHEN EXPAND THE SIZE OF
COMMUNITY AFFAIRS DIVISION TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE CONDUCT
THOSE POSITIVE OUTREACH
OPERATIONS TO THE YOUTH SO WE
CAN KEEP THEM ENGAGED AS WELL.
ALSO WANT TO INCREASE MINORITY
HIRING INSIDE THE AGENCY SO
THAT THAT THE AGENCY CAN
REFLECT THE COMMUNITY THAT IT
SERVES.
>> JSO IS A NATIONALLY
ACCREDITED AGENCY. I WAS A
PART OF THAT FIRST
ACCREDITATION PROCESS IN 1992.
AND ACCORDING TO
ACCREDITATION, IT REQUIRES
THAT YOUR SHERIFF’S OFFICE
LOOKS LIKE THE COMMUNITY THAT
YOU, SIR, DIVERSE, INCLUSIVE
AND ALL OF THE ABOVE. AND AND
ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS IT
TALKS ABOUT IS TRANSPARENCY AS
YOUR SHARE. I WILL ENSURE THAT
YOU TREATED FAIRLY AND EQUALLY
UNDER THE LAW, NO MATTER WHAT
ZIP CODE YOU THINK YOU LIVE
IN. I COME FROM THE OTHER SIDE
OF THE TRACKS. I GREW UP IN
WASHINGTON HEIGHTS. I LIVED IN
THE BACK OF A STATION WAGON
BOLOGNA SANDWICHES FOR DINNER.
UNDERSTAND THE PLIGHT OF
CERTAIN GROUPS OF PEOPLE AND I
CAN ADDRESS IT AS YOUR SHARE.
>> YOU KNOW, THE INTERESTING
THING ABOUT THIS DEBATE AND
THIS UPCOMING SPECIAL ELECTION
FOR SHERIFF, IT WAS BECAUSE
MIKE WILLIAMS RETIRED EARLY
WELL, ONE PERSON IN THE
AUDIENCE TONIGHT WAS MIKE
WILLIAMS. I DID TRY TALKING TO
THEM. I WENT AFTER HIM AND
ASKED HIM A COUPLE OF
QUESTIONS. HERE’S WHAT HE TOLD
ME.
>> OVERALL, DO YOU THINK THIS
WAS A FAIR DEBATE? I THINK SO.
I THINK THEY DID A GREAT JOB.
YOU DID THAT. WHAT CAN YOU
TALK TO ABOUT HOW THINGS HAVE
BEEN
>> THINGS VINCENT, YOU WERE
TIRED. YOU KNOW? AND THAT WAS
BECAUSE OF THE SPECIAL
ELECTION BECAUSE THESE
CANDIDATES REALLY WE’RE GOING
TO RUN UNTIL ABOUT A YEAR FROM
NOW IN THE CITY. ELECTIONS
ARE. BUT THIS IS COMING UP. SO
COMING UP, ALL NEW AT 11,
WE’RE GOING TO HEAR MORE FROM
THEM ABOUT THE TRANSPARENCY
ISSUE. IT’S A WORD WE’VE HEARD
A LOT ABOUT LATELY AND WE’RE
GOING TO HEAR WHAT EACH OF