Jax progs, City Council members spar over police hiring

Jax Mayor Lenny Curry and Councilman Garrett Dennis talk water safety

A major selling point in Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry’s new budget — 100 more police officers on Jacksonville’s streets — is under fire from the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition.

However, JPC is attempting a ricochet approach; rather than target the Mayor, JPC is aiming its rhetorical broadside at City Council Finance Chair Garrett Dennis.

Dennis’ committee will “kick the tires” on the Curry budget in August, and JPC has been driving calls this week to Dennis’ office, via an urgent call to action.

However, it doesn’t appear that on one of the most ambitious parts of the budget, tires are going to be kicked very hard. When it comes to new cops on the street, Dennis stands with the Mayor, saying the progs haven’t made their case with facts.

JPC notes that, despite the 160 people (80 cops and 80 community service officers) added in the previous two budgets, Jacksonville still sees a convergence of high crime in poverty stricken areas.

Moreover, the local progressives assert that “more police officers does not equal less crime, only more police violence in poor neighborhoods.”

On Monday, Dennis noted that the proposal for more police officers accords with the vision of the Mayor and the Sheriff.

“You can’t police your way out of crime,” Dennis added, saying that “prevention and intervention” programs are necessary.

That said, contrary to the JPC assertions, Dennis says the people in his district want law and order.

Dennis, who attends roughly a dozen community meetings a month, has “yet to hear that we have too many police officers.”

“I understand their concerns,” Dennis said regarding the JPC position, “but I have yet to hear that at any neighborhood association meeting.”

Dennis also addressed the JPC assertion that more police simply translates to more aggressive policing in certain areas,

“If they have the facts to back it up,” Dennis said, “I’d love to see it.”

Dennis notes that “the police will be held accountable” for overstepping legal boundaries.

He also adds that, “if we don’t give the Sheriff the tools [he is asking for], we will be held accountable.”

Thus, a “strong, well-funded program” is necessary, but “it has to be balanced.”

Many in Dennis’ District 9 experience a certain type of more aggressive policing than do those in neighboring District 14.

Dennis’ take?

“Look at the crime stats, and see what crimes are committed” in each district.

Dennis notes that the crimes that predominate in District 9 are of a certain type: “aggravated assault, drugs, violent crime.”

In District 14, meanwhile, the crimes are of a different type, such as “break ins and auto thefts.”

“The tactics are going to be different based on the crime,” Dennis said.

Different patterns of infractions, in Dennis’ reckoning, mean that different approaches to law enforcement may be necessary.

“There’s a higher concentration of certain crimes in District 9,” Dennis asserted. “If there are two different types of crimes, [police] are going to institute two different types of tactics.”

Progressives did show up to City Council, making the expected points about police brutality, a perceived misallocation of resources toward law enforcement, and a general perceived lack of accountability among law enforcement.

Councilman Dennis and Councilwoman Katrina Brown, however, pushed back.

Dennis noted the spend is just 1 percent of the proposed budget, while Brown urged the JPC to dialogue with law enforcement and offer “solutions.”

Christina Kittle — one of the Jax 5 — noted that, especially around the time of the incident with Gary Snow, that they did speak to the Sheriff.

“It’s people like us that are being put behind bars and have our reputations challenged,” Kittle noted. “I think we should start looking at things like rehabilitation programs.”

Northside activist Ben Frazier discussed a “lack of transparency” and “poor accountability” among the JSO.

“Why are you not pushing for this agency to clean up its act? Reforms are needed,” Frazier said, including a civilian review board.

Frazier got no questions from Councilors.

Connell Crooms, another member of the Jax 5 and one who felt physically threatened by the aforementioned Snow — leading to the melee in Hemming Park months back, one which led to Crooms being beaten by a police officer — also spoke.

“The silence from this body on free speech being under attack … has been well noted. Slavery in the United States has taken a new form … a new Jim Crow,” Crooms said.

“We’ve had our humanity stripped from us just for crossing the street … it’s elected officials like Mayor Lenny Curry, Sheriff Mike Williams, and members of this City Council that divide working communities,” Crooms said, emotion coursing through his voice.

Crooms got no questions from Councilors.