JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — After scathing reports of Duval County Public School's former police chief down playing crimes within the district, the current police talked to First Coast News about it at a public safety meeting at Westside High School.
Chief Greg Burton said his team has a protocol in place to make sure it under reporting of crimes do not happen again, especially under his leadership. Specifically, Burton said they will make sure cases will be appropriately reported as crimes.
Burton became the school district's top cop in 2021, thus replacing the former chief, Michael Edwards. A statewide grand jury found Edwards misreported more than 2,000 incidents at Duval Schools for four years. The grand jury found the majority were felonies and not one of the cases were treated as a crime. Chief Burton said their numbers will be accurate. The school district said its worked with the Department of Education after the former chief's resignation and is expected to meet with the department in the near future.
"Actually, when I read the report, my first thought was to make sure we're doing to everything to ensure that was not the case now," Burton said.
DCPS' police chief reassured parents can trust the district and its police department to report and investigate all cases. Plus, he has a response team ready incase of emergencies. The District is working with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office to ensure their reporting is more formalized.