>> NOW FROM THE NEWS, 4 JAX SAFE STREETS FOR MURDERS, 2 ROBBERIES, THE RASH OF VIOLENT
CRIME IN JACKSONVILLE IS A TOP
CONCERN FOR ALL OF YOU FOR THE
FIRST TIME OUR CAMERAS ARE
ALLOWED SO WE CAN GIVE YOU A
FRONT ROW SEAT TO WHAT THE
JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
IS DOING TO STOP THE HUNDREDS
OF RIVAL GANG MEMBERS WHO ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR MUCH OF THE
VIOLENT CRIME. I TEAM
INVESTIGATOR VIC MICOLUCCI
SPENT SEVERAL DAYS AND NIGHTS
WITH SPECIALIZED UNITS SO YOU
CAN SEE HOW THEY’RE TAKING
GUNS, DRUGS AND KILLERS OFF
THE STREET.
>> LOOK, WE HEAR YOU. YOU’RE
TIRED OF CRIME IN YOUR
COMMUNITY. LEARNING ABOUT
SHOOTING AFTER SHOOTING ON THE
NEWS, CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR
LOVED ONES. THE NEWS, A DEADLY
SHOOTING ON THE SCENE OF A
DOUBLE SHOOTING HERE. THERE’S
AN SUV DOWN THERE WITH BULLET
HOLES IN IT. AND WE KNOW THAT
MANY OF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT
POLICE ARE DOING TO NOT JUST
TO SOLVE THESE CRIMES, BUT
HOPEFULLY PREVENT THEM FROM I
LIKE THAT. WHAT YOU THINK SO
FOR YEARS I HAVE BEEN ASKING
THE JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S
OFFICE FOR AN INSIDE LOOK AT
THEIR VIOLENCE REDUCTION PLAN
FROM A DETECTIVE’S EYES. AND
NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME. WE’VE
BEEN GIVEN ACCESS TO SHOW YOU
HOW THESE INVESTIGATIONS PLAY
OUT FROM START TO THAT HOUSE.
SO EVERYTHING AROUND TO FINISH
ALL MY AGAIN, GUYS.
>> EVERYBODY’S WORKING THIS AS
LAW ENFORCEMENT USES NEW
TECHNOLOGY, TEAMWORK AND
TACTICS. TO STOP THE VIOLENCE
AS SOLUTION. A LOT OF THE
PROBLEMS PLAGUING THE CITY. I
BELIEVE IT IS. WORKED IN NEWS
HERE FOR MORE THAN A DECADE OF
NEVER EVEN GOT REMOTELY CLOSE
TO THIS KIND OF ACCESS. IT’S
NOT EVEN NOON. AND POLICE GET
THE CALL. THERE’S A DEADLY
SHOOTING ON EMERSON STREET. WE
QUICKLY HAD TO THE SCENE WITH
SERGEANT JOHNNY COOK. HE’S IN
CHARGE OF THE GANG UNIT.
>> THEY A GETAWAY VEHICLE.
THEY HAVE A DESCRIPTION OF
COLOR OF THE VEHICLE, BUT
WITNESSES ARE SAYING SHOOTERS
CAME FROM MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS.
SO SO THIS IS AN AM. THAT IT
WAS DEFINITELY AN AMBUSH AND
SOMEBODY WAS WATCHING HIM.
THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHERE HE
WAS, WHERE HE WAS GOING TO BE.
WAITING FOR OPPORTUNITY TO
THEY WANT TO DO.
>> SIGNS POINT TO THIS BEING A
GANG HIT. A MAN IS DEAD. A
WOMAN IS INJURED. THAT MAN HAD
BEEN ON THE UNIT’S WATCH LIST
AS SOMEONE LIKELY TO BE A
PERPETRATOR OF VIOLENCE OR A
TARGET. HE IS.
>> IT INVOLVED WITH PEOPLE.
THAT HAVE BEEN GOING BACK AND
FORTH WITH THE SHOOTINGS.
THESE ARE ALL RETALIATION
SHOOTINGS.
>> AS HOMICIDE DETECTIVES AND
THE GANG UNIT TO GATHER
DETAILS. EVIDENCE TECHNICIANS
QUICKLY COLLECT SHELL CASINGS.
IN THIS CASE, THERE ARE
DOZENS. THOSE WILL BE RUSHED
TO JSO IS IN-HOUSE FIREARMS
LAB. BALLISTICS EXPERTS SHOW
US HOW THEY ENTERED THE
CASINGS INTO A MACHINE LOOKING
TO SEE IF THEY MATCH WITH
SHELLS FROM OTHER AT THE SAME
TIME, THEY’RE TEST FIRING GUNS
THAT THEY’VE LEGALLY SEIZED OR
RECOVERED A DATABASE COULD
CONNECT THOSE GUNS TO CASINGS
FOUND AT SHOOTING SCENES.
HAVING NIGHT THEN AND HAVING
THE ABILITY TO LINK FIREARMS.
2 DIFFERENT SCENES THAT IN THE
PAST WE DIDN’T EVEN KNOW WERE
LINKED TO CREATE A WHOLE NEW
PICTURE. IT GIVES US NEW
INFORMATION AS FAR AS
WITNESSES.
>> POTENTIAL SUSPECTS AND IT
ALLOWS THE INVESTIGATORS THAT
ARE WORKING IS DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT CASES TO COME
TOGETHER WHERE BEFORE THEY
NEVER KNEW THAT THEY HAD A
RELATED CASE.
>> BACK ON THE STREETS, WE
CATCH UP WITH JSO IS COMMUNITY
PROBLEM. RESPONSE UNIT OR CPR?
THIS IS A TEAM OF TACTICAL
DETECTIVES NOW CHASING LEADS.
>> WE’VE GOT A HOUSE AROUND
THE AND WORKING FURTHER FROM
POLICE INTELLIGENCE HAS LED
THEM TO THIS HOME WHERE THEY
BELIEVE 2 BROTHERS INVOLVED
ARE HIDING OUT. LIEUTENANT
RICKY VALENTINE LEADS THE
OPERATION. THE TEAM CAREFULLY
SURROUNDS THE PROPERTY AND
QUICKLY SPOTS OF THE VEHICLE
MATCHING THE ONE FROM THIS
MORNING’S MURDER. SO THEY
THINK THAT
>> SOME OF THE SUSPECTS FROM
THE SHOOTING JUST A COUPLE OF
HOURS AGO. ARE THERE. THEY’RE
BANGING ON THE HOUSE RIGHT NOW
THAT SURROUND IT.
>> AS THE SUN SETS, DETECTIVES
WORK TO GET A SEARCH WARRANT
AND THEN THE SWAT TEAM COMES
IN. THAT EVENING. POLICE FIND
THE 2 MEN THAT THEY WERE
LOOKING FOR. THEY WERE NEARBY
AND THEN THEY TAKE THEM IN FOR
QUESTIONING. THEY’RE CURRENTLY
IN JAIL ON OTHER CHARGES. A
3RD MAN WAS ALSO ARRESTED
AFTER A SEPARATE TRAFFIC STOP.
THE CASE REMAINS OPEN.
>> THEY’RE VERY SMALL NUMBER
OF PEOPLE IN THE CITY WHO ARE
CAUSING A LOT OF THE VIOLENCE.
ASSISTANT CHIEF MICHAEL PAUL
RUNS THE CRIME. GUN
INTELLIGENCE CENTER.
>> THIS OFFICE OF HAND-PICKED
DETECTIVES USES NEW TECHNOLOGY
AND POLICE INTELLIGENCE TO
LOCATE SHOOTERS. FAST. BUT THE
FOCUS IS ON STOPPING THE
VIOLENCE BEFORE IT HAPPENS BY
IDENTIFYING THOSE WHO ARE
SHOOTERS, THOSE WHO ARE LIKELY
TO BE SHOOTERS OR PEOPLE WHO
COULD BECOME TARGETS. TEAMING
UP WITH THE STATE ATTORNEY’S
OFFICE. THE CENTER OPENED IN
2019 NEWS, 4 JAX. RECORDS SHOW
389 PEOPLE WERE SHOT THAT
loL-TIME HIGH. 438 IN 2021.
418 IN 2022. SHOWING A SLIGHT DROP EVEN AS THE CITY’S POPULATION GROWTH.
>> THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE
THAT SAY ALL THIS MONEY, ALL
THESE RESOURCES ARE GOING TO
POLICE AND WE’RE STILL LOOKING
AT SHOOTINGS ALL ACROSS
JACKSONVILLE. WE’RE STILL
LOOKING AT A VERY HIGH MURDER,
RIGHT? WHAT’S YOUR RESPONSE TO
IT?
>> THE NUMBER OF FIREARMS WE
ON A DAILY BASIS. THE NUMBER
OF PEOPLE THEY GET ARRESTED
FOR GUN CRIMES ON A DAILY
BASIS. AND WE USE WE USE
INTELLIGENCE. WE USE ALL SORTS
OF THINGS TO IDENTIFY THESE
PEOPLE. AND I CANNOT IMAGINE
WHAT THE CITY WOULD LOOK LIKE
IF WE WERE DOING THE WORK
WE’RE DOING.
>> AS YOU HERE’S THE PROACTIVE
PART WERE NOW PART OF A
DEPLOYMENT ALL THROUGHOUT THE
CITY. AND IN THIS TRAFFIC
STOP, POLICE PULL OVER A CAR
FULL OF TEENAGERS WHICH
UNDERCOVER DETECTIVES HAD BEEN
WATCHING. THEY TELL US THESE
GANG MEMBERS ARE SUSPECTED IN
A NUMBER OF SHOOTINGS,
INCLUDING A HOMICIDE. THEY
QUICKLY SEE A PASSENGER HAS A
SMALL AMOUNT OF A COOPERATE. I
COOPERATE. I LIKE IT, THOUGH,
THINK
>> THE REST OF THE CAR COMES
UP CLEAN AND THE OTHERS ARE
FREE TO GO AS THERE ISN’T
ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO HOLD THEM
FOR ANY OTHER CRIMES. BUT EVEN
IF THEY DO THIS THROUGH FOR
TONIGHT, THAT’S THE WAY FOR
TONIGHT. YOU KNOW, THEY KNOW
THE POLICE ARE OUTDOOR DOING
OUR JOB YOU KNOW, BEING
AGGRESSIVE, YOU KNOW, WITHIN
THE WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF LAW.
>> YOU KNOW, THEY’RE NOT GOING
TO GO TO THESE TACTICAL TEAMS
ARE WELL AWARE THAT POLICE
PRACTICES ARE IN THE SPOTLIGHT
AND THEY’RE WALKING A FINE
LINE BETWEEN FIGHTING VIOLENT
CRIME AGGRESSIVELY AND WHAT
SOME WOULD CONSIDER GOVERNMENT
BUT IT IS NOT STOPPING THEM
FROM CITYWIDE DEPLOYMENTS LIKE
THIS ONE BRINGING IN TASK
FORCES TO RUN LICENSE PLATES,
PULLING OVER VEHICLES
CONNECTED TO CRIMES. TONIGHT
ON THE WEST SIDE, THEY FIND A
WHOLE LOT OF DRUGS
>> AND A LARGE AMOUNT OF GUNS
WHICH WILL RUN THROUGH THE LAB
SO DETECTIVES CAN LOOK FOR
LINKS TO OTHER CRIMES. THERE’S
NO MAGIC FAIRY DUST IS GOING
TO STOP THIS.
>> IT’S JUST BEING ABLE TO DO
THE BEST WE CAN WITH WHAT WE
HAVE. AND I THINK WE WE ALSO
WENT ALONG WITH DETECTIVES AND
LOCAL PASTOR GARLAND SCOTT.
THEY VISIT GANG MEMBERS AND
THOSE LINKED WITH VIOLENT
CRIMES OFFERING THEM A WAY OUT
JOBS, HOUSING RESOURCES, A
CHANCE TO TURN THEIR LIVES
AROUND. IF NOT THE TEAM TELLS
THEM THEY’RE LIKELY TO END UP
IN PRISON OR DEAD. PASTOR
SCOTT SAYS ABOUT 4 IN 10
PEOPLE THAT THEY CONTACT AND
UP REACHING OUT, ASKING FOR
HELP, GETTING OUT OF A LIFE OF
VIOLENCE. SO BIG. DID YOU KNOW
THAT? YOU KNOW, ALL OF THIS
WAS GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES
BEFORE YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY
TO DO THIS STORY. SO I HAD A
LOT OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HOW JSO
WORKS, BUT I HAD NO IDEA OF
THIS SCALE OF HOW INTRICATE IT
REALLY WAS NOT TO MENTION.
>> DURING OUR TIME SHOOTING,
TARIK, ENJOY OVER THE COURSE
OF SEVERAL DAYS. WE RESPONDED
TO A DEADLY POLICE INVOLVED
SHOOTING. THEY ARRESTED 2 COLD
CASE MURDER SUSPECTS ON
WARRANTS AND THE TEAM DID A
WHOLE LOT OF SURVEILLANCE ON
CASES THAT THEY HAVE NOT YET
MADE ARRESTS IN. YOU DID A
GREAT JOB OF TAKING SO MANY
ELEMENTS AND PUTTING THEM INTO
ONE COMPRESSED STORY. AND YOU
KNOW, THESE UNIT, THEY
EXPANDED A LOT WHEN SHERIFF TK
WATERS TOOK OFFICE IN
NOVEMBER. SO
>> WHAT’S HIS PLAN FOR THE
FUTURE WITH THIS VIOLENCE
REDUCTION STRATEGY? I ACTUALLY
JUST SAT DOWN WITH HIM AND HE
SAYS THAT HE WANTS TO EXPAND
IT SIGNIFICANTLY. MORE
DETECTIVES, MORE RESOURCES AND
OF COURSE, MORE BUDGETS FOR
THIS. HE SAYS THIS IS ONLY A
PART OF A SOLUTION FOR CUTTING
DOWN ON VIOLENT CRIME. BUT HE
KNOWS IT WILL TAKE PATIENTS.
YOU’RE NOT GOING TO SOLVE THIS
ISSUE OVERNIGHT AND IT TAKES
THE COMMUNITY TO BUY IN OUR
CONVERSATION ON SAFE STREETS
CONTINUES TOMORROW MORNING
WITH JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF TK
WATERS. WE’LL TALK ABOUT WHAT
IS NEXT IN STOPPING VIOLENT
CRIME HERE IN YOUR
NEIGHBORHOOD. THAT’S TOMORROW