RIVERSIDE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is increasing its traffic enforcement personnel in 2025 with plans to add more officers focused on keeping roads safe.
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This effort was announced on a social media post, that said officers recently dispersed an unpermitted car meetup in Riverside involving over 40 vehicles. The post referenced two arrests, including the arrest of Julio Rodriguez, a repeat offender with a history of street racing-related charges.
Rodriguez has been taken into custody five times in the past two years for street racing-related offenses. According to JSO, Rodriguez organized the Riverside meetup and has previously been involved in large-scale street takeovers, including an incident last summer where a man was severely injured.
JSO has emphasized its commitment to cracking down on illegal street racing, stressing that such activities are illegal in Florida and carry significant penalties. Repeat offenders, in particular, can face higher fines, jail time, and vehicle impoundment.
JSO’s enforcement efforts have had a noticeable impact in recent years. In 2022, one operation led to 36 arrests, 13 vehicles towed, 503 tickets issued, and 128 warnings. More recently, officers arrested five individuals and wrote over 70 tickets during a similar operation targeting illegal street racing.
Other crackdowns have included stopping 18 mini-bike drivers, issuing 72 citations, and seizing seven bikes.
Tom Hackney, News4JAX’s crime and safety analyst, addressed the issue of repeat offenders like Rodriguez, saying that “spending some time in jail and losing their cars” may be what it takes to get the message across that street racing will not be tolerated.
News4JAX reached out to JSO for further details on the number of arrests made at the Riverside meetup and the planned increase in traffic enforcement officers, and the agency said, “This is not information I would be able to advise on a Sunday afternoon however, we will work on this tomorrow.”