A.G. Gancarski
Citizens in Jacksonville are largely satisfied with law enforcement, per a community survey released this week by the Sheriff’s Office.
Locals “believe JSO is handling its job well (68%), they feel safe in their neighborhood (89%), the areas of town they frequent (81%) and think, overall, Jacksonville is a safe place to live (68%). A majority believes JSO is responsible with taxpayer money (52%), that JSO needs more officers to meet the city’s needs (50%), and that more funding is needed (62%),” per the phone poll of 600 people conducted in May across all areas of the city.
The biggest concerns that people have in terms of local crimes? Gun violence and illegal drug use, at 37% and 17% respectively.
However, 89% of respondents feel safe in their own neighborhoods, a metric that challenges the media perception of Jacksonville being unduly riddled by violent crime and dangerous areas. 68% think the city is safe overall.
Likewise, 68% of locals think JSO is doing a good job, with 20% thinking the contrary. That +48 overall number is up 22 points from 2022.
A majority of respondents think JSO does a good job policing itself by handling police involved shootings and internal investigations. A majority also believes JSO needs more resources.
Meanwhile, people don’t worry cops will beat them up. When asked “whether being the victim of police brutality was something they personally worried about, by a margin of 65-30%, citizens disagree with this because a large majority don’t fear being the victim of police brutality.”
