OFFICE OF
THE CITY COUNCIL
117 WEST DUVAL STREET,
SUITE 425
4TH FLOOR, CITY HALL
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA 32202
904-630-1377
Neighborhoods,
Community Investments and Services Committee
Special Meeting
Minutes
November 14, 2016
Location:
City Council Chamber, 1st
floor, City Hall – St. James Building; 117 West Duval Street
In attendance:
Council Members Scott Wilson (Chair), Reggie Brown (Vice Chair), Anna Lopez
Brosche, Doyle Carter, Garrett Dennis, Bill Gulliford.
Also:
Kyle Billy – Council Auditor’s Office; Peggy Sidman – Office of General Counsel; Jeff Clements and
John J. Jackson – Council Research Division; Juliette Williams – Legislative
Services Division; Jessica Baker – Mayor’s Office
Meeting Convened:
11:12 a.m.
The Chair announced that the topic for the Special Committee
was an update on Jacksonville Journey’s crime statistics.
Kerri Stewart, Chief of Staff, Mayor’s Office, reviewed
Jacksonville Journey’s use of zip codes in its allocations
of resources. She explained that the
allocation of funds should be based on data.
In her presentation, Ms. Stewart referenced the Jax Journey Zip Code Analysis document that included information
provided by the JSO Crime Analysis Department and the Jacksonville Fire &
Rescue Department. The analysis included statistics on assault incidents, gunshot
wounds and stabbing incidents by zip codes from October 1, 2015 to September
30, 2016,
Ms. Stewart discussed an Incident Summary of violent
incidents in three specific zip codes: 32202, 32216 and 32246. The incidents were broken down by month and
time day of the week. There was a
breakdown in each respective zip code on the highest offense type and top 25
incident addresses. The most common
offense included abduction/kidnapping, aggravated battery, robbery/business,
robbery/carjacking, robbery/individual and sex/rape-battery.
Ms. Stewart reiterated the mission of the Jacksonville
Journey Oversight Committee: to identify significant contributing factors to
crime, violent crime in particular, and to oversee preventive and
intervention measures. The prevention and intervention measures should focus
all actions on reducing and eliminating crime, assess outcomes for
effectiveness, and assuring that all work is cost effective.
W. C. Gentry, Chairman, Jacksonville Journey, continued the
presentation.
Mr. Gentry explained that the Journey relied on the
Jacksonville’s Sheriff’s Office for data on where to focus the Journey’s
work. The Journey has been focused on
public housing projects to identify and reach children for early learning and reading
after school programs.
Mr. Gentry cited 20 elementary schools that have the worst
scores in reading proficiency. These
schools are all located in the zip codes that the Journey is focusing on. He explained that the zip code approach is
not the only factor in Journey’s mission.
Council Member Bill Gulliford raised some concern with the
per capita calculation that the Journey employs. He posed the question and thought: if certain
neighborhoods are considered lost, do we continue to allocate the limited
resources that the Journey has to them.
Council Member Garrett Dennis asked Mr. Gentry if the
Journey is targeting its services. Mr.
Gentry replied that the Journey is targeting, indeed; the public housing
projects are targeted with summer camps and after school programs.
Council Member Anna Lopez Brosche commended the Jacksonville
Journey for its mission and work; she said that the Special Meeting
presentation had been very helpful. She
wondered if it was the intention of the Oversight Committee to review the zip
code data on an annual basis. She asked
if the work that the Journey is engaged in is linked to work that the Parks
& Recreation Department is doing.
Council Member Reggie Brown raised
loitering as an issue; current loitering laws are not very helpful.
He wanted to know how we combat the menace of loitering.
In Public Comments, Tracie Thornton brought two issues
before the Special Committee: a problem with the election of the Chair of the
Northwest CPAC. She voiced concerns with
the Chair’s behavior. The other issue
was blight and commercial properties.
There being no further business, the Special Meeting was
adjourned at 12:00 p.m.
John J. Jackson, Council Research Division (904) 630-1729
11.17.16
4:00 p.m.