JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A recent string of deadly shootings, including cases involving children, has left some Jacksonville residents questioning whether the city is becoming more dangerous and whether the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is spending taxpayer dollars effectively.
Those concerns took center stage Monday as Sheriff T.K. Waters fielded tough questions from residents during a community town hall, defending both the agency’s performance and its nearly $700 million budget.
Waters acknowledged the recent violence has been alarming, but said individual incidents don’t reflect broader crime trends.
According to data presented by JSO, violent crime is down 7.7% compared with the same period last year. Property crime has fallen 24.17%, motor vehicle thefts are down 50.32%, and burglaries have dropped 26.1%.
“There’s been an uptick lately,” Waters said of recent officer-involved shootings and violent incidents. “But that’s not the usual.”
“We don’t go on a shopping spree”
Much of the discussion centered on JSO’s budget and why it continues to grow.
Waters argued the agency operates with little discretionary spending and said every budget request undergoes extensive review before reaching the City Council.
“Our budget chief is an attorney and a CPA,” Waters told the audience. “The question is always, ‘Do we need to spend these dollars?’”
Department leaders submit requests each budget cycle, he said, but those requests are scrutinized before being included in the final proposal.
“We don’t go on a shopping spree,” Waters said.
According to JSO’s budget presentation:
- 80.04% of the budget funds salaries and employee benefits.
- 7.19% covers internal service charges.
- 6.6% pays for contractual services, including inmate health care, food service and courthouse security.
- 5.29% funds operating expenses such as software, computers, uniforms, ammunition, maintenance and training.
Waters said the budget also covers expenses many people don’t consider, including housing inmates, medical care inside the jail, technology infrastructure and maintaining the Pretrial Detention Facility.
“Everything is allocated,” he said, pushing back against suggestions that the agency has large amounts of discretionary spending.
Use of force and accountability
Residents also questioned recent officer-involved shootings and use-of-force incidents.
Waters said officers are trained to use deadly force only when confronted with a deadly threat.
“A police officer has a right to use deadly force if deadly force is used against that officer,” he said. “Police officers are not here to be a target.”
He stressed that every officer-involved shooting undergoes multiple reviews, including a criminal investigation and an internal administrative review.
“The prosecutors always make the charging decisions,” Waters said, noting JSO does not decide whether criminal charges are filed against an officer.
Separately, the department’s Response to Resistance Review Board examines whether any policies were violated. Depending on the findings, discipline can range from retraining to termination.
“We wanted the officers to know that we’re there,” Waters said. “But we’re going to hold them accountable.”
Retention improving despite staffing challenges
While Waters said Jacksonville would benefit from additional officers, he argued JSO has made significant progress retaining the workforce it has.
He cited a recent employee survey showing fewer than 16% of JSO employees said they were looking for employment elsewhere—well below what he said are national averages for law enforcement.
“We’re not without sin, but they want to work here,” Waters said.
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