JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford is admitting that something needs to be done to balance the racial makeup of his force, an update to an Action News Investigation.
Rutherford said JSO isn't representative of the communities it serves and it's something they are working on right now. He said the slashing of many positions has hurt their minority recruiting efforts but that doesn't mean they've stopped trying.
Rutherford stood firm during a news conference Wednesday at FBI headquarters as FBI Director James Comey talked about the importance of trust, a topic that has been under the microscope because of racial tensions in Ferguson, Missouri.
"The key to trust between those of us in law enforcement and the community is just getting to know each other," Comey said.
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We asked Rutherford if that's something JSO needs to work on.
"It will always be a work in progress," Rutherford said.
We first showed you last week how we asked for the racial makeup of several local law enforcement agencies. What we found in Jacksonville's case is that in a city that's 35 percent African-American, only 17 percent of officers are black.
"I told this community we were going to look just like the community we serve," Rutherford said.
Rutherford said funding has forced the slashing of 239 positions, including dozens in the community service officer program, where many are recruited right out of high school, allowing them to get experience while attending school to get their degrees.
"So we could go out and recruit a lot more minorities into our agency through that process. Now that process is gone, so there are some challenges," Rutherford said.
Rutherford said working on relationships remains a top priority. He said getting these positions filled would help curb crime.
With the community service officer program, Rutherford said he changed the requirement from a four-year to a two-year degree and four years of related experience. He said he's asked the mayor and City Council to bring that program back.
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