The Issues
Crime Prevention
While the trends are heading in the right direction, Jacksonville still faces some tough challenges relating to crime and crime prevention. Despite significant funding increases in recent years for police protection, Jacksonville continues to struggle with being labeled as the murder capital of Florida. The Jacksonville Journey process is making strides toward a stronger emphasis on prevention programs and other improvements.
John has the endorsement and the support of our city’s law enforcement officers. He has guardedly supported the work being done as part of the Jacksonville Journey, and applauds those community members who came together to examine our city’s crime problem. However, he recognizes that the individual programs in Jacksonville Journey need continued, closer scrutiny to determine which ones are making an impact and which are not. This review process becomes increasingly important as federal dollars that once helped to launch and maintain Jacksonville Journey are now beginning to disappear, in turn requiring local “replacement” funding from an already strained city budget.
Wasteful spending at City Hall must be stopped so that we can dedicate more funds for effective anti-crime efforts. As a strong supporter of law enforcement during his service on the City Council, John pledges to work with the Sheriff’s Office to push for more community policing efforts and to implement the right solutions that will reduce and prevent crime in our neighborhoods.
