JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Journey Forward Board is taking steps to make the city a safer place to live.
A previous board, established in 2008 under former Mayor John Peyton, successfully reduced crime rates in the city for several years. The new board held its first meeting Thursday night.
The last time the Jacksonville Journey board was active, it contributed to a 40% reduction in violent crime. Board Chair W.C. Gentry says the goal of the board includes collaboration and lowering crime rates.
“We’re in a lot better position than we were when journey first started back in 2008. There’s still a lot of work to do, and we want to bring the whole community together around journey,” Gentry said.
The new board, called the Jacksonville Journey Forward, acknowledges that while the city is safer than in 2008, there have been increases in juvenile crime and gun violence.
“There’s clearly some things that need to be addressed that the city can address in partnership with the police. The police can’t do it all, and that’s the whole idea behind journey, is to get the community support in addition to the good work being done by the police,” Gentry added.
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During public comments, several individuals expressed their passion for the board’s objectives. Deshonna Buchanan, a former legal assistant with the State Attorney’s Office and now a local entrepreneur, shared her vision for helping the community.
“The ideal idea that I have is to create an organization that will help people with mental health, people who have been sexually assaulted, people who have been human trafficked, someone who’s been living on the streets, homeless,” Buchanan said.
Monique Highsmith, who has over 20 years of experience in social services and worked with Operation New Hope’s ready-to-work program, also voiced her support.
“I was the one that went into the 11 prisons here in Florida and advocated for the gentleman and the women that were incarcerated. I was the one that coordinated and cultivated over 300 business owners and employers here in Jacksonville to employ our people that were coming back into the community, and that needed a second chance,” Smith shared.
Highsmith highlighted the success of past efforts, noting a 95% success rate, and stressed the importance of collaboration.
“It has to be a collaborative effort with all of us. So it can’t be this, this one over here, this fellow over here. No, we have to come together as a community and get it done,” she said.
Buchanan is hopeful that by stepping forward, she can help people, especially children, and is hoping for support from the board.
“Whether that’s financial support, advice, whether it’s just showing me different, giving me different resources, I’m doing the same thing, giving me different resources,” Buchanan stated.
For now, the board’s work is just beginning.
“This is just the kickoff, and basically the end zone, and now the ball has been brought out to the 30, and we’ll go from here,” Gentry concluded.
The board has 11 spots with 10 that are currently filled. The final spot on the board that still needs to be filled is pending a nomination by Chief Judge Lance Day with the 4th Judicial District.
To learn more about the Jacksonville Journey Forward and to fill out a community engagement survey, click here.