JACKSONVILLE, Fla — There have been more than 430 shootings in Jacksonville so far in 2020. More than 25% of those shootings (160) have been deadly.
Like the current COVID-19 pandemic, city leaders are hoping to quell this epidemic before it grows larger, particularly in high-crime areas like Arlington.
“We're just not going to stand by and allow crime to take over our areas to the point where citizens feel that they're not safe," District 1 City Councilmember Joyce Morgan said. "So, led by JSO, we're all looking at how we change this narrative in our neighborhoods.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has held the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office back from traditional community policing, according to Assistant Chief Lakesha Burton. However, last week, she began holding virtual meetings with District 1 apartment complexes in order to stay engaged with residents.
Burton said a major topic has been auto burglaries with 620 firearms reported stolen from cars across the city this year.
“What that means is 620 firearms will now be used for violence in our city," Burton explained. "So, we have a lot of work to do, and that's why we are really committed to doing what we need to do to stay connected.”
Florida Senator Audrey Gibson (District 6) used a sobering phrase to describe the spike in violent crime in Jacksonville: "An epidemic of violence."
Sen. Gibson called for a deeper investigation into how young people are getting guns and ammo because she believes it goes beyond the unlocked car scenario.
“The sheriff's office has a duty to find out what that is," Sen. Gibson said. “There’s more than what's being discussed, and they need to bring it to the fore.”
Gibson said parents also need to be aware of what their children are bringing in and out of the house, and find a way to safely separate them from weapons.