JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — During the day, the streets of Jacksonville are relatively quiet; when the street lights come on and darkness falls, violence surfaces, and it is ugly.
The city has reported over 360 shootings this year.
"One shooting is one too many," said Pastor Darien Bolden.
Bolden, President of the Baptist Minister's conference, called for a ceasefire to the violence.
"These killings need to stop," he said.
Surrounded by other members of the conference, the clergy called for a 30-day ceasefire of all shootings; a 30 day cease of using Facebook to taunt and to retaliate.
"We plea with the community, with the gang leaders, school principals and others to attend a Cease-Fire Reconciliation and Transformation Conference," said Bolden.
They have yet to set the date for the conference, but they know something has to be done and it has to be done now.
"I know the feeling of a parent when you get that phone call," said Pastor Robert LeCount.
In 2003, LeCount's son was killed during gun violence. Each year on September 29, they remember the young man lost to gun violence.
His church is called Disciples of Christ.
Le Count said they just started a job training program to get men and women off the streets and away from a life of crime.
"We've got people dying in our city, and they are not spending any of the money they're getting to stop this violence in our city," said LeCount.
Ben Frazier of the North Side Coalition told On Your Side the city needs to address these concerns and the city council needs to restore the Safer Together committee.
"We've had too many band aid solutions in the past; we need to work together," said Frazier.
Community activist and former city council candidate Diallo Sekou Seabrooks said it will take engagement to bring change.
"The community has to have a real engagement wanting, wanting to have an end, and that is going to take a real sacrifice," he said.
Seabrooks said several years ago, his nonprofit offered a resolution to city leaders outlining an approach to the problem, and nothing happened.
The ministers hope its Reconciliation and Transformation Conference will produce engagement and solutions when it happens.
'Please let's come to the table and sit down and reason together with ways and means we can stop the violence in our city," said Bolden.
Pastor Bolden said he will announce the dates for the conference and also points to some initiatives he said are working in Hillsborough County and how he would like to see them implemented in Duval County.