Northside Coalition of Jacksonville Inc. demands immediate release of body cam footage, more

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — June 4: The Northside Coalition of Jacksonville Inc. released an open letter to the mayor of Jacksonville Thursday morning. It reads:

"Dear Mayor Curry,

We would like to meet with you. We look forward to a positive, honest and solution oriented dialogue with you. Please consider listening to the voice of the people as expressed by thousands of protesters in Jacksonville and other cities. We would like to discuss law enforcement and socioeconomic issues affecting black and poor people in our city. What follows is a listing of our data driven concerns.

All The Best,

Ben Frazier

President

Northside Coalition Manifesto Of Protest Demands"

June 3: The Northside Coalition of Jacksonville Inc. released its demands for the city and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday morning.

Ben Frazier, the president and founder of the coalition, told Action News Jax the demands were part of the protests on Saturday. The group also released the below statement:

“The purpose of the historic solidarity protest march last Saturday was to make known our concerns and our demands to the city of Jacksonville. There are major issues affecting the relationship between local law enforcement and the black community. If they are ignored we can expect more protest and strife that will threaten peace and commerce here in Jacksonville. We are looking forward to a serious and honest dialogue with the Mayor The Sheriff and the State Attorney to negotiate our data driven demands as soon as possible.”

The “Manifesto of Protest Demands” requests the following:

• The immediate release of all body cam videos of officer-involved shootings without edits or redactions.
• To revise JSO’s body cam policy to more closely align with established civil rights principles.
• It demands that JSO issue a public declaration that all officers refrain from excessive use of force.
• It demands that all officer-involved shootings in Duval County be investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
• That JSO reviews and revises all policies, practices and procedures that may be considered to be racially discriminatory.
• That JSO’s initiative to identify and discipline “problem” cops be reviewed and strengthened, with input and recommendations from community organizations.
• That the city moves to create an elected citizens oversight board with investigative and subpoena powers to deal with allegations of police misconduct.
• That city officials and the JSO support reforms treat police officers accused of crimes the same as others.
• That city officials engage the coalition in a series of serious and honest discussions regarding the issue of racism and discrimination in law enforcement in Jacksonville.
• That Chief Circuit Court Judge Mark Mahon, representatives of the community, Perkins Bar Association and other legal representatives meet to address the various aspects of racial bias in the criminal justice system in the fourth judicial circuit.

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