JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said a Saturday night gathering near Friendship Fountain stemmed from “several planned takeover events” circulating on social media and included about 600 to 700 young people.
According to JSO, its officers safely broke up the gathering after witnessing some of the event’s attendees engaging in drug use, fighting, and pepper-spraying each other, and made one arrest.
This video posted to social media by Notijax shows a different angle of the dispersion.
“We encourage all parents and guardians to speak with their children about safe and responsible activities. These takeover-style gatherings are not only illegal, but they can also be extremely dangerous,” said JSO.
The agency added that the event’s organizers tried to use multiple locations to hide where it would actually be taking place, and gave warnings to the event’s organizer and their parents, saying they should not host the unpermitted event.
News4JAX Crime and Safety Analyst Tom Hackney says events like the one broken up by JSO on Saturday can have negative effects in multiple ways by potentially causing damage, and keeping teenagers out later than they should be.
“It is draining on personnel. It’s draining on resources from other parts of the city,” Hackney said. “In a big thing like this where you may have hundreds of juveniles out beyond curfew...usually law enforcement just wants to dispel the crowd.”
To prevent relocation, officers briefly blocked nearby roads, which included access to the Main Street Bridge, and credited sirens with being effective in managing the situation.
Police also reminded parents that children under the age of 18 may not be out in public after 11:00 p.m. on weeknights or after midnight on weekends unless accompanied by an adult or participating in a permitted activity such as work.
The city lists the first penalty as a written warning, and $100 civil fine if the violation is committed again.
“JSO will continue to monitor similar situations, enforce local curfews, and uphold park regulations to ensure public safety,” the agency’s social media post read.
