400 families, including some from the First Coast, are urging lawmakers to push for policies that help crime victims and survivors.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Families of crime victims traveled to Tallahassee Tuesday, pushing lawmakers to call for more safety reform and expand services for survivors of crime and their families.
400 people from across Florida, including the First Coast, took a charter bus to the capital Tuesday morning.
It’s part of an annual event called Survivors Speak Flordia – where survivors of crime join elected officials to address the trauma of being a crime survivor, the need to support those victims and tackle the root causes of crime.
The event was organized by Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice.
Families said they want lawmakers to pass a bi-partisan bill that would increase access to sealing low-level misdemeanor records, fund trauma services to victims of crime and put together a policy that implements right-size-penalties for low-level probation violations.
“We are urging our elected leaders to remove barriers to healing for crime victims and create pathways to jobs and housing for folks with an old legal record – together, these essential investments will help build safe communities across our state,” said Elliott Saunders, member of Florida Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice.
Jacksonville Senator Tracie Davis has helped spearhead some of these reforms – including expanding funding for trauma recovery services in Jacksonville.
Pamela Tyson and Alfrida Telfair both lost someone in their family because of crime.
Tyson’s son was killed in a hit-and-run, and Telfair’s teenage cousin was fatally shot. They want lawmakers to expand services for crime victims and their families.
“What really keeps me going is keeping my son’s memory alive and seeing people go through the same thing I’m going through,” Tyson said. “We need to look in the mirror and look – and see – what can I do to help better the community.”
This Survivors Speak Florida event is the first of dozens planned for this year to advocate for public safety and better services for survivors of crime.
