JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – New footage has surfaced in an ongoing News4JAX I-TEAM investigation of car groups taking over large parking lots.
In the latest video posted to Instagram by the group The 904 Banditz, an ambulance can be seen doing doughnuts in a parking lot.
My first call when looking into this video was to the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, which assured me this was not one of its units and likely not owned by any rescue agency because all the decals were taken off the ambulance.
I reached out to The 904 Banditz about the video. The group has been pointed to by critics since this issue of car clubs taking over parking lots really started to become public late last year, and for the first time, we’re hearing from the car group. It sent me this statement which reads in part: “Would you rather people as you guys put it ‘destroy’ parking lots out rather kids get into gangs drugs and all????”
The statement goes on to say, “We have something good going for Duval cause the Jaguars aren’t it? So why not throw a city held meet where they barricade a area off for the ‘bad kids that like to have fun.’”
And while this video may be surprising, it does appear like the issue of car groups tearing up parking lots may be getting better following several I-TEAM reports on the subject.
RELATED: Doughnuts & street racing: Late night reckless drivers a nuisance for downtown residents | Manager says street racers have caused $60K in damage doing donuts in strip mall parking lot | I-TEAM: Complaints continue over car groups driving erratically in vacant parking lots | I-TEAM: Local car group speaks following street takeover complaints | Councilman’s message to car clubs: Get off public property or buy your own place | Video appears to show police cruiser peeling out in Jacksonville parking lot | Witness says police cruiser seen in video was trying to disperse crowd gathered for car club meetup | I-TEAM: Residents say drivers are turning this area of Jacksonville into a weekend racetrack | I-TEAM: Street racing concerns surface in another area of Jacksonville | I-TEAM: 2 street racing crashes in 2 weeks spark more safety concerns
Jimmie Hamilton runs Angus Property Management, which maintains a lot at Beach Boulevard and Parental Home Road.
“A lot of people think you blacktop, put yellow stripe down, blue stripe down for the handicap. That’s not it. You have to mill up the old, clean it up, re-lime rock, re-asphalt, re-stripe the parking lot,” Hamilton said.
I talked to Hamilton in January. At the time, he told me car groups had damaged his parking lot so much that repaving was now required and going to cost $60,000 to $70,000. He says since the I-TEAM story about his lot aired in January, he hasn’t had any more problems with car groups.
“The more it’s on the media, the more the clubs see it. Clubs have come to light, saying they want a place to go meet peaceably. Most of them are,” Hamilton said.
While Hamilton says he hasn’t had any more problems, he still has concerns if he repaves his lot. He plans to hire a security company to work overnights -- which he says will cost around $3,600 a week to guard the property.