>>LAUREN VERNO: WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR QUESTIONS. AND THIS
MORNING WE ARE GETTING ANSWERS
BY LOCAL POLICE. THIS TIME.
OUR VIEWERS WANT TO KNOW MORE
ABOUT PANHANDLING. ALSO
REPORTING SUSPECTED DRUGS OR
PROSTITUTION IN THEIR
NEIGHBORHOOD. SO JACKSONVILLE
SHERIFF’S OFFICER CHRISTIAN
HANCOCK JOINS US NOW. ALL
RIGHT, READY, READY. OKAY. SO
INTERESTING QUESTIONS HERE AND
SOME OF THEM HAVE COMMON
THEME. SO WE’LL DELVE INTO IT.
WHAT IS LEGAL AND WHAT IS NOT
WHEN IT COMES TO PAN HANDLERS,
WHICH I’M ASSUMING A LITTLE
DIFFERENT THAN PEOPLE WHO ARE
SELLING NEWSPAPERS AND FLOWERS
INTERSECTIONS DURING RED
LIGHTS, RIGHT? YES. SO THOSE
ARE 2 DIFFERENT AVENUES. LET’S
HIT THE PANHANDLERS FIRST.
>>LAUREN VERNO: SO PANHANDLERS
ON PRIVATE PROPERTY THAT’S UP
TO THE PROPERTY OWNER AGENT TO
CALL US TO HAVE THEM RUN OFF.
SO THAT’S NOTHING WE CAN DO
ABOUT THAT WITHOUT A COMPLAINT
IS THAT THEY’RE IN A PARKING
LOT. IT’S WONDERING WHAT ABOUT
AN INTERSECTION? INTERSECTION
IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THE
RIGHT OF WAY WE CALL IT AND
THAT’S OWNED BY CITY OR ON
PROPERTY. SO RECENTLY THERE’S
BEEN A COURT RULING SAYS THAT
JUST THE MERE FACT THAT
SOMEBODY HOLDING A SIGN NO
MATTER WHAT IT SAYS DOESN’T
NECESSARILY CONSTITUTE A
CRIME. IT IS CONSTITUTIONALLY
ACCEPTED ITS FREEDOM OF
SPEECH. SO IT’S SORT I’M
TAKING ABOUT WHAT WE USED TO
BE ABLE TO DO, IF YOU WILL.
WHEN WE GET THE COMPLAINTS. SO
WHAT THAT INDIVIDUAL NOW HAS
TO DO IS ACTUALLY STEP OUT
INTO THE ROAD, INTERFERE WITH
TRAFFIC OR OBSTRUCT TRAFFIC
FOR US TOO. TO 3.16. SO MOST
OF THEM ARE PRETTY SAVVY. I
MEAN, THEY’RE NOT REALLY STEP
IN THE ROAD THERE RIGHT THERE
ON THAT LINE. THE WATER DOWN
THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHEN THE
LIGHTS RED SOON AS THAT LIGHT
TURNS, GREEN WILL STEP OFF THE
UP BACK UP ON TO THE RIGHT
AWAY. SO IT DOES MAKE IT A
LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT FOR US
TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IF
THEY’RE CAUSING A SCENE OR IF
THEY’RE BEING UNSAFE, PUTTING
THEMSELVES OR SOMEBODY ELSE.
AND JEFFREY, OBVIOUSLY WE CAN
DO SOMETHING. BUT IT’S NOT
JUST THE MERE FACT THAT
THEY’RE HOLDING THIS. SAYING,
OKAY, THAT’S GOOD. BUT NOW
WHAT ABOUT THE FOLKS WHO ARE
NEWSPAPERS AND FLOWERS, RIGHT?
SO THEY WELL, STILL FOLLOW THE
SAME RULES AS ARE STEPPING
INTO TRAFFIC. BUT THEY ARE ONE
STEP FURTHER IN THAT THEY’RE
LIKE A BUSINESS. SO ACCORDING
TO THE CITY, THEY HAVE TO HAVE
A BUSINESS LICENSE AND AN END
TO THE VENDOR PERMIT SELL AN
ITEM FROM THE RIGHT ARE MORE
APT TO PULL THEM AND ASK THEM
TO STOP VERSUS A PANHANDLER.
BUT YOU CAN’T REALLY WITH
CHECK THEM AGAIN. THEY’RE
REGULATED UNDER THE BUSINESS
SIDE OF THE CITY. THAT’S NOT
NECESSARILY A THAT’S A WHOLE
DIFFERENT ROUTE. ANSWER TO
QUESTION, RIGHT? OKAY. THIS IS
AN INTERESTING ONE. CAN A
PERSON BE DETAINED IF THEY
JUST SMELL LIKE MARIJUANA
>> SO SHORT ANSWER IS IF AN
OFFICER SMELLS THAT.
>> THE ODOR OF MARIJUANA AND
CAN ISOLATE WHO IT’S COMING
FROM. THAT GIVES THEM
REASONABLE SUSPICION TO STOP
AND INQUIRE A LITTLE MORE SO
THEY CAN TO A PAT DOWN FOR
SAFETY. BUT ULTIMATELY WHAT
THEY’RE GOING TO ASK IS THAT
THEY HAVE A MARIJUANA IF SO IS
THE PERSON DOES HAVE A
MARIJUANA CARD THAT ENDS AT
REASONABLE SUSPICION AND THE
AND THE ENCOUNTER GOES AWAY
HAVE TO PRODUCE THE CARD
OBVIOUS. CORRECT TO CORRECT.
AND IF THEY DON’T HAVE ONE,
THEY DON’T POSSESS ONE. THEN
THE THE STOP THE
CONSTITUTIONAL STOP CAN GO A
LITTLE FURTHER. SO CAN THEY
SEARCH THE INDIVIDUAL THAT
DOWN AND YOU’RE GOING ACT? NOT
A VEHICLE RIGHT AT WEREN’T FOR
THAT NOT NECESSARILY WITH THE
VEHICLE. WE CAN BRING A DOG
OUT TO WALK AROUND THE
VEHICLE. IF YOU SMELL THE
ODOR. AND AGAIN, WE CAN ASK
HIM ABOUT THE THE MARIJUANA
ARE OKAY. SO EVEN IF WITH
PEOPLE WHO ARE SMOKING
MARIJUANA AND IT RUBS OFF ON
THEM, THERE IS THAT CHANCE
POTENTIAL? IS THERE ANYTHING
OUT WITH SOMEBODY AND IT? BUT
AGAIN, THE ALSO HAS TO, YOU
KNOW, THAT TO PUT THIS
INVESTIGATION TOGETHER,
REASONABLY SUSPECT THAT THIS
SPECIFIC INDIVIDUAL OR IF IT’S
A GROUP THEY CAN, YOU KNOW,
YOU CAN STOP HIM AND TALK TO
THEM ALL. AGAIN, THEY HAVE TO
BE ABLE TO ASCERTAIN THAT
FAIRLY QUICKLY IN AN
INVESTIGATION, RIGHT? YEAH,
THAT’S GOING TO MAKE A
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT HAVE A
CAR MIGHT WANT TO WATCH.
YOU’RE HANGING WITH. WHAT DOES
IT TAKE? OUR THIS IS A
QUESTION. SO WHY DOES IT TAKE
SO LONG FOR A JSO OFFICER TO
RESPOND TO A NON-EMERGENCY
CALL? AND I GUESS HERE’S THE
QUESTION.
>> WHAT WHAT LATE SHOULD
PEOPLE EXPECT WHEN IT’S A
NON-EMERGENCY?
>> SO CALL ALL CALLS FOR
SERVICE ARE SO THEY GO FROM
ONE TO 4, ONE BEING THE MOST
CRITICAL. THEY COULD BE A
CRASH WITH INJURIES THAT COULD
BE A SHOOTING. THAT COULD BE A
ROBBERY IN PROGRESS. SO THOSE
ARE THE MOST CRITICAL, IF YOU
WILL, DOWN TO A 4, WHICH WOULD
BE SOME SOMETHING LIKE A THEFT
OF A BICYCLE COULD BE
SOMETHING LIKE A NON VIOLENT
DISTURBANCE. SO THOSE CALLS OR
PART ARE PRIORITIZED AND
OFFICERS ARE DISPATCHED IN
THAT PRIORITY. SO OBVIOUSLY,
IF WE HAVE 10 PARTY, ONE CALLS
THAT ARE WORKING, ALSO, GOING
TO THOSE FIRST ROSE TO 3, 4,
OBVIOUSLY FOR BEING THE LOWEST
PRIORITY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO
WAIT. THERE’S ONLY SO MANY
OFFICERS OUT THERE,
UNFORTUNATELY. AND SOMETIMES
DURING THE DAY CALLS GET
BACKED UP A LITTLE BIT.
>>LAUREN VERNO: AND SO WHEN
ARE THOSE LIKE THE TIMES WHEN
YOU SEE LESS CRIME? BECAUSE I
MET ON THE WEEKEND MIGHT BE
HARDER TO GET TO THAT BICYCLE
THEFT. WELL, RIGHT, BUT IT
ALSO DEPENDS ON TRAFFIC DURING
TRAFFIC HOURS GET A LOT OF
CRASHES. SO THE OFFICERS ARE
WORKING. THIS CRASH IS
DILIGENTLY SO AND
UNFORTUNATELY CRASHES AREN’T A
QUICK FIX. THAT’S A LINK. THE
INVESTIGATION THAT, YEAH,
RIGHT. GETTING CARS TOWED. SO
YOU MAY BE THERE ARE NOW
AROUND HALF ONE OFFICER
WORKING THAT CRASH. SO IT’S
IT’S IN PRIORITY. UNDERSTAND
THAT WE’RE GOING TO HELP THE
PEOPLE THAT ARE IN MOST NEED
FIRST MEDICALLY ISSUED MEDICAL
ISSUES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND THEN WE WILL GET TO THE
THE NONVIOLENT LOWER PRIORITY
AS SOON AS WE CAN. YOU KNOW,
THIS IS A GOOD ONE BECAUSE YOU
HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE FOLLOWING
THE LAW.
>> BUT LIVING NEAR PEOPLE WHO
AREN’T. SO THIS FRONT IS HOW
DO YOU REPORT KNOWN DRUG
ACTIVITY IN THE HOUSE? YOU
BELIEVE BECAUSE YOU SEE PEOPLE
COMING AND GOING, YOU DON’T
FEEL SAFE AND APARTMENT AND
STILL REMAIN ANONYMOUS. YOU
KNOW YOU WE ALWAYS SAY CRIME
STOPPERS CALL. LET US KNOW
WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOUR
COMMUNITY. WE CAN’T RESPOND IF
WE DON’T KNOW. IT’S A LITTLE
SCARY FOR FOLKS TO KNOW THAT
THIS COULD POTENTIALLY TURN
DANGEROUS. ABSOLUTELY. SO I’LL
START OFF WITH ALL CRIME TIPS
FOR ANYTHING CAN BE CALLED TO
>> THE NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER 9,
0, 4, 6, 3, 0, 500 OR YOU CAN
E-MAIL US AT OUR JSO CRIME
TIPS AT JACK SHERIFF DOT ORG.
AND THOSE ARE ALWAYS
ANONYMOUS. THOSE ARE NOT
ANONYMOUS NOTE TO BE
ANONYMOUS. YOU HAVE TO GO
THROUGH CRIME STOPPERS. THAT
IS THE ONLY TRUE MECHANISM FOR
ANONYMOUS STEPS AND QUICKLY
BECAUSE THEY’RE WRAPPING
>>LAUREN VERNO: EXPLAIN HOW
THAT WORKS JUST QUICKLY
BECAUSE I WANT PEOPLE TO
REALLY UNDERSTAND IT TRULY IS
ANONYMOUS CRIME STOPPERS IS
TRULY ANONYMOUS. THEY WILL
NEVER KNOW YOUR NAME. YOU GET
ASSIGNED A NUMBER. IF YOU ARE
OR A REWARD, THEY WILL LET YOU
KNOW AND AND SEND YOU A CARD.
>> SO KNOW, YOU’RE GREAT. ONLY
THAT NUMBERS. ONLY THE NUMBER
CONFIDENT THAT YOU HAVE HOME
OR SAY SOMETHING THAT WE
DIDN’T GET TO. I HOPE WE KIND
OF COVERED IT. YOU KNOW, IN
SOME OF WHAT WE CHRISTIAN AND
WE’LL HAVE YOU BACK ON AND
>>LAUREN VERNO: CAN SEE YOU
NEXT, OUR STATION. SO WE LOVE
TO HEAR MORE OF YOUR QUESTIONS
FOR POLICE. YOU CAN POST THEM
RIGHT NOW OR ANY TIME BY
LOOKING FOR THE STORY ASKED
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