JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters and his staff strolled through Jacksonville’s Westside Saturday morning to talk one-on-one with residents.
Saturday’s stroll was part of the Sheriff’s Neighborhood Crime Prevention Walk. He has been hosting these walks to help bridge the gap between police and the community.
Gregory Pauling said seeing Waters strolling through his neighborhood was a big deal for him.
“He’s caring about his community. I really like that,” Pauling said.
Pauling said he grew up on this side of town and that this is something he is not used to seeing.
He used this moment as an opportunity to talk to the sheriff one-on-one about neighborhood concerns.
“We have a lot of cars come down and they like to speed, and they come down here maybe 50 to 60 miles per hour. It’s a lot of kids out here sometimes, you know. My grandson also plays out here sometimes and I wouldn’t want him to get ran over by some people that come out here,” Pauling said.
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Speeding isn’t the only issue residents deal with on this side of town.
In 2023, there were six homicides on the Westside from May 1 to June 6, according to News4JAX records.
Donald Foy, Chapter President of MAD DADS, an antigun violence activist group, said this walk is a good way for community members to express concerns about the city’s crime rate.
“It’s good that the community comes out and shows their interest, they want crime revoked,” Foy said.
The Sheriff’s walk started at the Timothy’s Landing Community, through Melvin Road, Playschool Drive, Playschool Lane, and Playpen Drive.
By the end of the walk, Sheriff Waters heard from dozens of residents.
Waters said his goal is to work together to find permanent solutions to crime and improve overall safety in each neighborhood.
“We’re going to continue to work towards trying to fix those issues. There are local businesses in the area that are allowing certain activity and we’re going to address that stuff,” Waters said.
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