JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — The Jacksonville Beach Police Department is preparing for a planned takeover event scheduled for Saturday at 3 p.m. near the pier. Law enforcement officials announced they will take a zero-tolerance approach toward violence, illegal drugs, and illegal firearms during the gathering.
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More than 70 Jacksonville Beach police officers will be deployed on Saturday and Sunday. They will be joined by dozens of additional officers and deputies from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, Neptune Beach Police Department, and Atlantic Beach Police Department.
Police officials stated they detected the planned takeover far in advance and verified intelligence regarding the date, time, location, and expected weather conditions. After evaluating the information, the department developed a messaging strategy and a specific deployment plan for the weekend. Investigators also attempted to identify the promoters of the event, though they reported mixed results in those efforts.
The multi-agency response utilizes an integrated system that includes technology and specific crowd control techniques. Officers plan to be on the scene at the pier before the participants arrive. The Jacksonville Beach Police Department has maintained open communication with local citizens, businesses, and city officials throughout the planning process.
Beyond the local deployment, the enforcement strategy includes a zero-tolerance approach toward violence, illegal drugs, gang activity, and the possession of illegal firearms. Chief Gene Paul Smith, Jacksonville Beach police chief, addressed the challenges law enforcement agencies face when dealing with these types of national events.“Despite this systematic, innovative, and aggressive approach to enforcement, JBPD (nor any other agency) cannot guarantee that a violent incident will not occur,” Smith said. “That is why takeovers are a national problem. When people live in a free society with constitutional safeguards, and you have members of that society that have no regard for life, no fear of consequences, have no respect for anyone or anything, and are intent on committing a violent crime, it is presumptuous to believe that law enforcement can or could do anything to stop people with these intentions.”
Smith added that the responsibility for preventing such behavior also lies outside of police work. “We cannot do what society and their parents should have been doing to them their whole lives,” Smith said.
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