Faith leaders call on Jacksonville sheriff to meet with them on crime, violence

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A local pastor and other faith leaders on Friday will formally call on Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters to meet with them over their concerns about violence and officer conduct.

Pastor Reginald Gundy said if changes don’t happen, Jacksonville should create its own citizen’s review board. The group wants to meet with Waters first, but they said, so far, he hasn’t done that.

That is why they plan to hold a 10:30 a.m. news conference Friday on the steps of the Sheriff’s Office headquarters. They say they’re concerned about violence in the city and what they describe as aggressive behavior by JSO officers in public.

Press play above to watch the news conference live

Since he took office, Waters has regularly met with people throughout Jacksonville to hear their concerns about crime and violence.

Last Saturday, the sheriff and his staff held another crime prevention walk, going door to door and speaking one-on-one with neighbors on the Westside.

But Gundy said he and others have been left out of the conversations.

He said despite his requests, the sheriff has refused to meet with him and other faith leaders about their concerns.

Gundy specifically mentioned ICARE, a group that wants to address crime and other problems in the community. The group said the sheriff was invited to its community event on Monday, but he did not attend.

Those who were there discussed a string of shootings over the weekend.

Gundy said some of his concerns would be addressed if Jacksonville had a citizen review board.

Activists said this would give them the power to investigate specific allegations of officer abuse and make recommendations to the sheriff and city leaders.

State lawmakers want to take that option off the table. They’re considering a pair of bills that would abolish local civilian police review boards.

The House version is up for a second reading on Friday. The Senate version has already been heard for a third reading.

Gundy also recommends what he calls a Juvenile Justice Comprehensive Strategy Board, which would include the sheriff, mayor and state attorney. He said it would focus on prevention and intervention for youth crime.