“We know it won’t be easy, but we are prepared” Local pastors present 6 steps necessary for change in Jacksonville

Jacksonville, Fla. — Local pastors from churches across our area gathered outside the Duval County Courthouse Monday for a press conference.

They shared how they believe city and civic leaders can truly work toward change in Jacksonville.

Action News Jax reporter Courtney Cole shares their six steps to change and how they’re going to work to achieve them.

"Although Minneapolis is 1,475 miles away, for blacks living in Jacksonville, it seems as if it was just around the corner,” said Dr. Mark Griffin.

Pastor Griffin, says he couldn't just sit idly by and do nothing to change the place he calls home.

"We urge our city officials and city leaders to take the necessary steps to heal the racial divide,” Griffin said.

Griffin, the Senior Pastor of Wayman Temple A.M.E Church, worked with more than a dozen pastors, to put together a list of the steps he believes will help ensure equal protection under the law, for all.

That list includes the following:

1. The Mayor and the Sheriff make a formal statement strongly condemning the actions of the Minneapolis police officers involved in the death of George Floyd. Neither the City of Jacksonville nor the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office will condone such behavior. -- However, last week when Sheriff Williams was asked about the death of George Floyd during a press conference, he did say the following: “It’s not a training issue, it’s not a mistake. It’s just a murder at the end of the day. And what’s more troubling to me is that you had 4 other police officers standing around, watching that happen.”
2. The Sheriff and State Attorney review of the matters that led to the detainment and arrest of Minister Delanie Smith on May 31, as she was attempting to promote peace and order during a protest. Following this review, appropriate action should be taken, which may include the clearing of her arrest record and an apology from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
3. The Sheriff and the State Attorney should immediately release the police bodycam footage capturing the events leading up to and including the death of 22-year-old Jamee Johnson. Other municipalities are releasing bodycam footage within days. Although this event took place in December 2019, the video has not been released. All bodycam footage involving police shootings must be released promptly regardless of whether that footage benefits the case of JSO or the victim.
4. A Citizens Review Board should be established in an effort to foster respect, transparency, trust, and accountability between the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the community. This review board would be responsible for providing oversight of investigations of complaints made against the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. The board’s composition should be demographically and geographically diverse and should be independent from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and city government.
5. The State Attorney, as the local prosecutor, works very closely with JSO in investigating and trying cases in our judicial system. Because of this close prosecutor-police relationship, there exists a natural conflict of interest in cases of police misconduct. It is imperative that we ensure actual and perceived fairness in the prosecution of police officers when they are the defendant. Our nation has seen too many instances where local prosecutors refused to bring charges against police officers, even when the evidence clearly showed culpability. Therefore, we call on the State Attorney to automatically recuse himself or herself whenever a police officer is the defendant.
6. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office should immediately implement the following:

• Provide more diversity and cultural sensitivity training, with a special emphasis on implicit bias, black culture, and structural racism. Also, provide more stress and mental health management services for officers. Officers who are dealing with high levels of stress are more likely to make poor decisions, especially on the streets.
• Conduct a review and publish a report on the number and percentage of black police officers by position and rank, in comparison to the percentage of black residents in Duval County.
• Implement programs to increase the number of black police officers, especially in the higher ranks of leadership.
• Conduct roundtable conversations with black police officers in an environment where officers can speak truthfully without the risk of negative impact on their career and advancement opportunities with the organization.
• Perform an independent review of police officer disciplinary records, with a focus on officers with multiple serious offenses. Such an officer, if not properly counseled and disciplined, could be the next bad actor who could put us on the national stage for all of the wrong reasons.

"But beyond talking, and beyond listening, we must also engage in doing. Let us work together to make Jacksonville better for all,” said Pastor Griffin.

Pastor Griffin said they already have a working relationship with the mayor and sheriff, but COVID-19 has hindered talks with city leaders.

Their next steps are: to meet with a broader group of pastors and then work to put together a strategic plan, with timelines for action.

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