JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville’s murder statistics from final 12 months are as soon as once more turning heads.
However for very totally different causes.
After years of ongoing lethal violence, Jacksonville’s whole variety of homicides in 2024 dropped by almost half from the earlier 12 months.
The truth is, in response to News4JAX information (see under), final 12 months’s whole of 82 homicides is the bottom the town has seen within the final 19 years, which is so long as we’ve been conserving rely.
It’s the primary time since 2011 that Jacksonville reported lower than 100 homicides in a 12 months.
In a message launched Thursday, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Workplace identified that the 59 murders reported in 2024 had been the bottom quantity in additional than 20 years. (NOTE: Of the 82 homicides final 12 months, 10 had been both dominated justifiable or concerned manslaughter prices, and one other 13 had been nonetheless pending classification as of Thursday.)
Jacksonville Sheriff T.Okay. Waters mentioned the traditionally low numbers are a step in the fitting route.
“It makes me really feel like we’re doing what the residents put us right here to do, which is handle the town and ensure persons are protected,” Waters mentioned in a video launched by the company. “One among my main factors that I wished was for everybody to stay protected and safe on this metropolis with out fearing violence, and I feel we’re on our method to doing that.”
What’s working
JSO credit the numerous drop to group violence intervention, which targets the town’s most violent offenders in a number of methods.
JSO mentioned it doubled the dimensions of its gang unit in 2024, elevated patrols and invested closely in know-how to assist resolve and forestall crimes.
Know-how like cameras and plate readers across the metropolis related to the Real-Time Crime Center and enhanced forensics with the Crime Gun Intelligence Middle.
Whereas the drastic drop in violence might be seen as a statistical anomaly, Waters mentioned he doesn’t assume that can show to be the case.
“I do consider that typically numbers ebb and stream, however not at this degree,” Waters mentioned. “I do know it’s working due to the outcomes that we’re seeing.”
Spikes, pockets of violence
As Waters mentioned, numbers do ebb and stream and so they did all year long with the violence usually coming in waves. The truth is, 41% of the homicides for the 12 months had been reported in simply three months: March (10), Could (11) and October (13).
It’s unclear why these months noticed spikes, however among the many March homicides had been the deaths of three youngsters, ages 1, 2 and 12.
Two males had been killed by regulation enforcement in Could: one by the U.S. Marshals and one by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
And October’s 13 homicides included the high-profile taking pictures demise of off-duty JSO corrections officer Brad McNew. He was shot and killed while intervening in an altercation at a gasoline station in Pecan Park.
The lethal encounter was one in every of seven within the 32218 ZIP code of Jacksonville’s Northside final 12 months — almost all involving firearms.
Two areas of the town’s Westside (32205 and 32210) accounted for 15 of final 12 months’s homicides mixed.
Not surprisingly, the notoriously violent 32209 ZIP code reported probably the most homicides for anyone space with 11 — however that was down a notable 65% from the earlier 12 months (31).
Grieving, in search of solutions
News4JAX visited with McNew’s wife and son simply earlier than the vacations — a reminder that regardless of the spectacular drop statistically, scores of households throughout the town had been nonetheless grieving family members misplaced to violence final 12 months.
In its message concerning the drop within the homicide price, JSO acknowledged that even one such crime is one too many.
Whereas the McNews know who killed their cherished one — Demaurea Grant is facing a murder charge — dozens of different households throughout the town don’t but have solutions.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Workplace has solved about 60% of the homicides from final 12 months, leaving 33 instances with out an arrest or decision introduced as of Thursday.
A kind of instances has left a household hoping for solutions for almost a 12 months.
Gary Mills, 45, was killed in a home invasion robbery off Argyle Forest Boulevard on Jan. 7, 2024 — simply the second homicide reported final 12 months.
Despite the release of surveillance video by the family and pictures by JSO, no arrest has been made.
Final March, Mills’ sister, Genay Mills, advised News4JAX that the household frightened the case would possibly go chilly if somebody locally doesn’t come ahead.
JSO mentioned with regards to unsolved instances, the general public’s assist is important.
Anybody with details about any of the unsolved instances proven in our interactive map can name 904-630-0500, e mail JSOCrimeTips@JaxSheriff.org or name CrimeStoppers to stay nameless at 1-866-845-TIPS.
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