Mayor John Peyton today detailed specific goals and suggested five main areas of focus for the Law Enforcement & Deterrence subcommittee of The Jacksonville Journey. He was joined by the subcommittee chairman, Paul Perez, former U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, and other members of the subcommittee. 

The mayor outlined the following as critical areas of focus:

• Increasing police presence
• Getting guns off the streets
• Making schools sanctuaries of safety
• Examining the administration of justice
• Increasing public access to information

While the mayor made some specific recommendations about programs related to these areas, he asked the committee to draw on their own talents, experiences and expertise to identify ways to address the issues.

Increased Police Presence

Mayor Peyton announced that he will ask the Jacksonville City Council to appropriate $3 million from the city's emergency reserve to fund overtime deployments in the city's high crime areas. The mayor will ask that the funds utilized be replaced with any surplus that exists when the city's mid-year budget review is completed.

"The most visible and tangible element of this community's safety is police officers on the street. And we know that when high crime areas are flooded with police officers, crime goes down," said Peyton. "That's why I'm asking the City Council to fund police overtime as first suggested by Council Finance Chair Art Shad in September and supported by a majority of the council at the time. These funds will quickly address the increasing incidence of violence and murder in this city. I also appreciate the strong leadership of Council President Daniel Davis and his commitment to making Jacksonville a safer city."

The mayor also asked the Law Enforcement and Deterrence Subcommittee to work with the staffs of the mayor, sheriff and council auditor to complete a detailed review of the Matrix Audit and make recommendations on how to increase police presence on the streets of Jacksonville over the long term.

Getting Guns off the Streets

Mayor Peyton called on the committee to intensively focus on ways to get guns off the streets in Jacksonville.

"In Duval County, the reckless and criminal use of guns is a problem, and gun-related crimes are a problem. Until we get illegal guns off our streets and out of the hands of the criminals, we will never have a safe community," he said.

The mayor discussed his involvement with the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition, an organization founded by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Mayor Thomas Menino of Boston. The purpose of the group is to engage a large, bi-partisan group of community mayors, all of whom are dealing with the common problem of illegal guns in their cities and towns.

Next year, the City of Jacksonville will host a Florida Conference for regional mayors and renowned subject matter experts to specifically address the issue of illegal guns. 

Making Schools "Sanctuaries of Safety"

Making Duval County Schools the safest schools in the nation should also be a priority for the committee. As a first step, Peyton called for aggressive prosecution any time someone is caught carrying a gun on a school campus. He also called for increased safety for teachers and school administrators under provisions in the Florida Statutes that provide for stiffer penalties for those charged with assault or battery on a teacher or administrator.

"In years past, homes and schools were the safest places in the community," he said.  "That is no longer the case, and it is time for us to make sure that our children – and those we entrust with their care and education – are safe and secure in Jacksonville's schools."

Examining the Administration of Justice

Peyton asked the group to examine the overall administration of justice in Duval County and identify systems that could be improved, training that could be increased and processes that need to be modified.

He asked that as part of this evaluation, the Sheriff and the State Attorney meet twice annually to review practices and processes and identify opportunities for even greater success in arresting and prosecuting criminals in Duval County.

"The burden of proof for a patrolman to make an arrest is different than the burden necessary to charge someone with a crime and prosecute them successfully," Peyton said. "However, by working together and improving the system as necessary, we can help police and prosecutors take more criminals off the street."

In addition, he asked the Law Enforcement and Deterrence Subcommittee to make specific recommendations related to other areas that are placing an undue financial burden on the justice system and a strain on those working to facilitate the administration of justice. Those areas include, but are not be limited to, jail overcrowding and the number of pending felony cases.

Increasing public access to information

Peyton also called for the group to identify ways to better keep the public informed about the criminal justice system. The mayor has directed the creation of a Web site that tracks the work of the committee and reports on the activities and success of each area of the anti-crime initiative. 

Background Information:  The Jacksonville Journey

On Dec. 13, Mayor Peyton was joined by former U.S. Ambassador John Rood, former Florida Senator Betty Holzendorf and more than 140 other community leaders and subject matter experts, to announce the launch of The Jacksonville Journey, Take A Step, a comprehensive, citywide anti-crime initiative. 

The Jacksonville Journey, Take A Step is a three-fold approach to fighting crime that includes law enforcement and deterrence, but also focuses on prevention and targeted intervention, including rehabilitation and re-entry programs.

Today's announcement was the first in a series of events that will occur over the next two months. At each, Mayor Peyton and leaders of the Jacksonville Journey, Take A Step will announce specific initiatives and charges relating to the five subject areas. For information about meetings and agendas, committee members or specific aspects of the initiative, call 630-CITY or log onto www.coj.net.