JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The board for the city of Jacksonville’s crime-fighting initiative, Journey Forward, is now fully staffed. Last week, the city council unanimously confirmed the appointment of renowned veteran prosecutor, Bernie de la Rionda.
The Journey Forward is a reboot of the Jacksonville Journey, which successfully led to a nearly 40% reduction in violent crime in Duval County.
With 35 years of experience, de la Rionda is known for his strong courtroom presence and fierce dedication to justice for victims. De la Rionda expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to serve on the board.
“I am honored and really blessed that judge, Chief Judge Lance day nominated me for the position,” de la Rionda said. “So, I am humbled and honored to be accepted as part of this team that we can make a difference.”
The Journey Forward board is comprised of a diverse group of professionals. This includes educators, police officers, sociologists, attorneys, and medical experts. Collectively, their task is to help reduce violence, strengthen neighborhoods, and improving the quality of life in Jacksonville. De la Rionda’s involvement in nearly 100 homicide trials, many involving the death penalty, adds a valuable perspective to the team. He has seen how bad things can get when there isn’t intervention ahead of time.
“Some of these cases, you could tell there had been something that happened at a young age to this individual, and usually it’s a boy,” de la Rionda said. “If you could do something at a very young age in addressing that, the family structure, there are all kinds of variables that factor into that.”
De la Rionda recalled the cases of Shenice Holmes, a 13-year-old girl, killed by a stray bullet. He prosecuted the case.
“She was reading a book,” de la Rionda said. “There was gunfire between two rival gangs or groups of individuals who had a beef, and one of those bullets went in through the house, through the window, and killed her. We were able to identify who the people were that were involved. But how can you prevent that?”
De la Rionda also remembered the case of Sarah Whitlock, a 23-year-old nursing student. She was murdered by a 17-year-old in 2006.
“She was a nursing student, her goal was to go to Central America to help other kids and help other families in terms of surviving,” de la Rionda said.
De la Rionda said cases such as these underscore the need for proactive measures to prevent crime and support victims.
“How do we as a society address, how do we identify those individuals? And I think this is something that the Journey can do,” de la Rionda said. “We can try to factor in and determine, either from the schools providing or parents or somebody in the neighborhood, saying, ‘this kid needs some help’. Let’s address it at an early age.”
Despite a historic drop in the homicide rate last year, de la Rionda stressed the importance of maintaining momentum in crime prevention efforts.
“You’ve got to keep the fight. It’s got to keep going,” he stated, emphasizing the need to identify and address potential threats before they escalate. The goal is always to see less crime, and more success.
From the courtroom to the Journey Forward board, Bernie de la Rionda said his commitment to making a difference in Jacksonville remains unwavering.
“I came to this country when I was four years old,” de la Rionda said. “I was born in Cuba, and my parents put me on a plane when I was four years old, and I never saw them again. I say that because this country is amazing. it’s exceptional. Everybody, if they work hard, stay out of trouble, everybody should have the opportunity to succeed.”
