JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office launched a massive crackdown on illegal street racing and reckless driving over the weekend, called “Operation Braking News.” The sweeping law enforcement effort was designed to protect local drivers and families from what officials describe as a rapidly growing public safety threat.
The operation was started when JSO intelligence analysts flagged flyers circulating on social media that advertised several illegal car meetups scheduled for Saturday. In response, JSO deployed an array of specialized units, including Traffic, DUI, and K-9 teams, to be at the gatherings.
Law enforcement targeted four distinct meetup locations across the city: Downtown, Tinseltown, The Avenues, and the Big Lots on St. Augustine Road.
The strategic deployment resulted in the arrest of 22 individuals on both felony and misdemeanor charges. Alleged offenses include street racing, fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, illegal firearm possession, and drug possession. In addition to the arrests, deputies issued 28 traffic citations and seized seven vehicles.
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters issued a stern warning to those participating in the illicit events during a recent press briefing.
“Jacksonville, and hear this, will not allow joyriders, racers, reckless drivers of any kind of vehicle criminal acts to descend on the city,” Sheriff Waters said.
“We support you having fun, but we don’t support you breaking the laws of the state of Florida and damaging people’s property. We don’t want that,” he stated.
Waters expressed frustration with the demographics of those caught in the dragnet, emphasizing personal accountability. “These are adults; adults need to make adult decisions. It’s not our job to teach them that,” he noted. “We’re going to find you. We’re going to arrest you, at least as many as we can.”
The Sheriff also highlighted a grim reality justifying the agency’s aggressive stance, pointing out that traffic fatalities continue to outnumber homicides in Duval County.
“This year, we have had 100 traffic fatalities in comparison to 24 murders,” said the sheriff.
JSO officials stated they will continue to monitor social media and utilize specialized units to prevent future unpermitted street takeovers from endangering the public.
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