JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — On Monday, faith leaders gathered to discuss gun violence in Jacksonville.
The Interfaith Coalition for Action, Reconciliation and Empowerment, better known as 'ICARE,' hosted the meeting. The group invited community members, city leaders and Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters who did not attend.
ICARE has been calling on Waters to contract with the National Network for Safe Communities and its group violence intervention program (GVI).
The city of Jacksonville has its own violence intervention program, but ICARE thinks it can be improved.
“He has not taken a meeting with us formally to discuss our concerns since he was running for office," said ICARE member Adam Gray who is the pastor at Riverside Baptist Church.
Waters spoke to ICARE members at last year's Nehemiah Assembly. But, ICARE said he has not sat down with its leaders to discuss reducing the murder rate.
“Right now, we are focusing on GVI," Gray said. “John Jay College and the National Network calls it, 'The hammer and the hope you bring both pieces together.' And you can only do that by getting the cooperation of everyone being at the table."
ICARE said Jacksonville has the 23rd highest murder rate out of the 75 largest cities in the country.
In 2022, there were 135 murders, and in 2023, there were 120 murders, an 11 percent decrease. ICARE says that number isn’t good enough.
“In the cities where GVI has worked, we've seen 30, 40, 50% reduction in murders," Gray said.
The National Network for Safe Communities says GVI has reduced crime in Indianapolis by 34 percent. In Stockton, Calif., 42 percent. Gray thinks it can do the same in Jacksonville, but everyone needs to be on board.
"You take the good work that the mayor's office is doing, and the good work that social services is doing, and the good work that the churches are doing, and the good work that the law enforcement and the State Attorney's Office are doing, and you just don't keep them separated," Gray said. "You bring everyone to the table together."
First Coast News reached out to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office on Monday to ask if Waters is looking to contract with the National Network for Safe Communities and haven't heard back yet.