JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville faith leaders with the group ICARE gathered Monday evening for the yearly Nehemiah Action Assembly at the Abyssinia Missionary Baptist Church where they pressed for solutions to end violent crime in the city.
ICARE leaders called for Sheriff T.K. Waters to expand his strategies to stop street groups and gangs from committing violent crimes.
Applauding and shouting filled the room as speakers spoke on stopping the gun violence. Waters’ absence was also discussed.
“This event is an opportunity for our sheriff to listen to people who are hurting. It is an opportunity to connect with constituents about changes they want to see in our community,” a speaker said.
The local group has requested to meet with the sheriff multiple times, hoping to discuss solutions that could bring some relief to the city. However, the group said it felt like Waters ignored them because he hadn’t met with them since his last encounter at the 2023 Nehemiah Action Assembly.
While the sheriff was invited to Monday’s assembly at the church, he declined saying he has to attend the Police Memorial Ceremony on the same night.
In his letter to the group, he also said he does not plan to attend any future ICARE events, stating that his last experience lacked “constructive conversation.”
“I will not attend ICARE assemblies in the future, given my experience last year at the 2023 Nehemiah Action Assembly. That event did not provide an environment for constructive conversation, but rather was a staged display in which I was not permitted to fully answer questions beyond “yes” or “no” responses. The theatrics of this event were compounded by how I was systemically booed by the crowd on command by ICARE leaders and not permitted to a hold a microphone, seemingly to prevent me from responding beyond one-word replies.”
Sheriff T.K. Waters
James Boddie Jr., the pastor of Christ of King Catholic Church, talked about big issues in the community.
“The gun violence, shootings, and that has to stop and it’s all over Jacksonville...have to approach it in a very unique way,” Boddie Jr. said.
Faith leaders said they would like to see a group violence intervention program reinstated in the city.
“There was a group violence intervention program that was instituted by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in 2016 with the goal of reducing the number of homicides...since that...homicides and murders haven’t gone down...since then has gone up,” Willie Barnes Jr., Senior Pastor of St. Paul AME Church said.
One presenter said that research shows that the violence intervention program works.
“Research has shown the cities who are using the program correctly have reduced the amount of shootings and that’s all were asking for. We just want our program assessed to see what the problem is,” Linda Allen said.
ICARE leaders have held several events where they have expressed their concerns over the violence in the city, especially gun violence.
News4JAX records show Jacksonville reported 158 homicides in 2023, with 126 of those classified as murders. According to ICARE, the vast majority of murder victims were Black.
ICARE has asked the sheriff to contract with the National Network for Safe Communities to assess Jacksonville’s program, which began in 2016. They estimate the cost to be between $30,000 to $80,000. According to ICARE, that program takes a “hope and hammer approach,” by providing resources to change lives but also providing stern consequences if violence doesn’t stop.
Dr. Tracye Polson, Director of Strategic Partnerships for the City of Jacksonville talked about the Criminal Mental Health Project in Miami and initiatives within the mayor’s office to address mental health needs.