JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office continues its community meetings, a new survey is giving the department a better idea of how people feel about local law enforcement.
JSO released the results of its community survey, which touched on a wide range of topics from fear of police brutality to what issues many believe are most important.
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Gun violence and illegal drug use remain top of mind for many of the people who responded to the survey with 55% listing those two as the top public safety issues.
Traffic concerns, including speeding and reckless driving, were also stand-out responses.
For reference, this survey is conducted over the phone by an outside firm.
With 600 responses, the survey said it has answers from people in each JSO district and all 34 ZIP codes in Duval County.
So far, this year, 11 JSO employees have found themselves facing criminal charges.
This is addressed in the survey with an entire section that asks about how JSO handles internal investigations.
- 52.7% said they believe JSO does a good job following up on allegations
- 52.2% said they believe JSO does a good job reporting its findings to the community
- 53.6% said they believe JSO does a good job investigating officer-involved shootings
Concerns about police brutality are also covered.
When it comes to officer behavior:
- 65% of people who answered the survey said they do not have any fear of being a victim
- 30% said they do
Those responses are much different when you look at the race of those who participated.
- 54% of Black respondents said they do fear being a victim of police brutality (a 10% drop from the 2022 survey)
- 18% of white respondents shared concerns about personally being the target of police brutality.
People were also asked whether they believe JSO is doing a good job.
Over the years the survey has been conducted, that number had been trending downward but saw its first uptick this go around.
Now, 68% say JSO does a good job.
Click HERE for the full survey results.
Transparency site changes
To enhance transparency and provide broader access to information, JSO launched a new Transparency Portal.
The updated portal consolidates JSO’s transparency data and crime mapping, offering the public access to permissible public safety data.
Managed in-house, the portal will be updated daily, allowing the community access to current, verified data 24/7 without the need for a public records request.
For more information, visit the new portal at: transparency.jaxsheriff.org.