JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Northside Coalition of Jacksonville is claiming the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is guilty of excessive force and racial bias in law enforcement, and that the U.S. Justice Department should move to investigate it.
Ben Frazier, the Coalition's spokesperson, said previous research provided conclusive empirical evidence showing how "race has played a role in police shootings and their subsequent investigations."
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He added that he believes reports make clear that JSO has:
- Not been transparent and less than honest regarding police-involved shootings
- Tried to cover up and overcharge for public information in an attempt to cover up the truth
- Not treated black citizens fairly in its daily policing operations
“We believe Sheriff Mike Williams should revisit his campaign promise to make the department and its policies, practices and procedures more transparent," Frazier said. "JSO has a problem with dealing with black citizens and we believe it’s going to take the federal government to correct the problem.”