JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Sheriff T. K. Waters and other Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office members walked through District 5 to meet with community members about crime in their area on Saturday.
The walk started at Baldwin and Canal streets and went to Orchard Street along the Westbrook Center and Park, then made a right on Bradford Street then back to where it started at Baldwin and Canal.
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Councilman At-Large Ron Salem was in attendance and heard some of the concerns from residents.
“I know one mother voiced concerns about gangs and didn’t want her young son to get involved in that and there have been some shootings that have occurred out here in the past,” Salem said.
Patrol District 5 Commander Harry Massey said overall crime rates have dropped in the area.
“I believe 6 or 7% and the violent crimes and murders are down in the mid 30% so we have a good reduction in crime and I feel that our citizens are happy with that,” Massey said.
He talked about what JSO is trying to crack down on in that area.
“There are some pockets of violent crime and some shooting deaths which we always want to address. We also have burglaries that tend to go up and down, especially in a new construction area and remodeled homes,” Massey said.
Councilwoman Tyrona Clark-Murray, who represents the area, said it’s good that Waters and JSO walked through the area.
“It helps me to realize that they do see the neighborhood, they do see the community, and that they’re concerned about the what’s happening in the community,” Clark-Murray said.
She added that she’s in close communication with Massey about the crime in the area and what’s being done to make it safer.
Some residents talked about an instance where they told Waters about a concerning area that was not part of the walking path, and he let them take him there.
“It feels good to me because we have not had that, we’ve never had that,” the woman said.