Since entering office, Mayor Peyton has made public safety, including homeland security and emergency preparedness, a top priority. By the end of his first term in July 2007, Peyton will have committed $1.5 billion to police and fire protection and emergency preparedness services. This level of funding is unprecedented in Jacksonville's history.

Expansion of the Sheriff's Office and Fire Department
Approximately one-third of the city's 2007 budget is for services provided by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the Fire and Rescue Department and the Medical Examiner. This provides resources to keep pace with the city's rapidly growing population and its ever-increasing needs. To date, the funding has allowed for:

• Hiring 200 additional police officers and 29 JFRD personnel
• Continuing JSO's Community Service Officer program, which allows more sworn police officers to address violent crimes and other serious issues
• Replacing and upgrading JFRD equipment and communications
• Modernizing seven and replacing nine fire stations
• Purchasing 110 new vehicles for JFRD
• Installing two new fire stations, adding another station and rescue team
• Replacing public safety equipment and vehicles to improve response time
• Providing more equipment/personnel for the Medical Examiner to improve crime solving capabilities

Community Partnering 
The mayor is allocating funds to revitalize neighborhoods and launch partnerships with residents to eliminate environments that lead to deterioration and harbor crime. This includes JSO and the Jacksonville Children's Commission participation.

Seeds of Change: Growing Great Neighborhoods targets the neighborhoods of Northwest Jacksonville and Historic Arlington. In its first six months, Seeds of Change focused on:

• Building trust in neighborhoods between residents and police through community workshops
• Connecting with young people through various events, outreach, a summer jobs program and summer camps
• Cleanup and beautification efforts involving residents
• An amnesty period during which eligible property owners can bring properties into compliance and clear them of existing fines
• An affordable home ownership program for median income earners

Please visit the Seeds of Change Web site for more information.

Operation Find Fast
Operation Find Fast is a partnership between the mayor and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. This multimedia public service campaign encourages all residents to make sure their addresses are clearly displayed.

The program is also eliminating duplicate street names throughout the city to ensure that emergency responders' efforts are not compromised.