JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – For the past couple weeks, News4JAX has been chronicling complaints of street racing and car groups tearing up local parking lots throughout Jacksonville.
This first started when we showed you video of a driver spotted doing doughnuts near police headquarters in Downtown Jacksonville. Then Wednesday, we told you about cars seen tearing up a private parking lot late at night along Beach Boulevard.
Since that story, News4JAX has obtained additional video from the property owner (shared above), who spotted a group of vehicles in the parking lot at Parental Home Road and Beach Boulevard. It’s unclear if the footage is from the same date.
The property management company said the cars have done considerable damage, costing an estimated $60,000-$70,000 in damages.
Stopping them hasn’t been easy -- the property manager said he’s tried.
“My son and I went up there once and they surrounded us,” said James Hamilton, who owns Angus Property Management.
News4JAX crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson suggests property owners keep calling police, or hire off-duty officers to monitor the area.
“If you’re a property manager, what you want to do is avoid contention,” he said. “The most you can do right now is call police and hopefully they can get out there in time to see what’s going on.”
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has visibly responded after our first story aired. We’ve noticed a cruiser at the intersection near police headquarters during both daytime and nighttime hours.