JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- For the first time since his inauguration, Gov. Charlie Crist made a stop in Jacksonville to announce his budget recommendations for the Anti-Murder Act. While in town, Crist answered questions about the recent police-involved shootings that have shaken up the community.

The governor, Sheriff John Rutherford, and Mayor John Peyton on Monday afternoon walked the streets of a northwest Jacksonville neighborhood to talk about crime.

The governor made if clear that he chose Jacksonville to make his Anti-Murder Act announcement because he said the city is trying to prevent gun crimes but has the highest murder rate in Florida.

He also praised the sheriff and his officers for their work.

"There's always challenges in fighting crime. It's not easy. It's very difficult, and nobody has the integrity of doing it, and doing it the right way, than Sheriff John Rutherford," Crist said.

When asked about the shootings, Crist said the investigations need to be handled at the local level and not the state level.

"I think the sheriff has done a great job trying to make the city as safe as possible," Crist said.

However, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has come under some scrutiny after three fatal police-involved shootings occurred in three weeks. Some organizations are calling for an independent investigation into the way JSO does undercover work.

Black community activists called Monday morning for a halt to undercover drug investigations and for the mayor to call a town hall meeting on the issue that would involve all parties of all races.

The request for an independent investigation and community meetings comes after Saturday's fatal shooting of an 80-year-old man in an exchange of gunfire with undercover narcotics detectives during a drug sweep of a South Metro neighborhood.

"We have a definite problem with race here," said Jackie Brown, a candidate for mayor. "For too many years -- I mean, at least 30, 40 years -- this has been going on, and nobody's done anything about it."

"We're asking for this city government, for the people in this city to take a stand and have a zero-tolerance policy," said James Evans-Muhammad, a candidate for City Council, at a Monday morning rally. "This has been going on for too long. We're asking for an immediate end to police brutality. We're asking for a citizens' review board to be established."

Mayor John Peyton said undercover operations are an essential tool in fighting crime. He also said he doesn't think an independent citizens' review board is necessary and that he would wait for JSO to complete their investigation.

"I fully support the sheriff in his effort to do undercover work. This is an important tool for combating crime and murder where it occurs," Peyton said. "I think the facts of the case are going to speak for themselves. I think we sometimes spend too much time in committees and task forces and workshop. This requires action."

The latest police-involved shooting took place when two undercover detectives were posing as drug dealers in a reverse sting operation when 80-year-old Isaac Singletary confronted them with a gun, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Chief of Investigations Dwain Senterfitt said.

"You don't expect people to come point a gun at you," Senterfitt said. "At that point, it became about officer safety."

Gary Evans, Singletary's nephew, told Channel 4 that his uncle was territorial and mad about illegal drug activity near his Westmont Street home.

"My uncle asked the officer, which he didn't know at the time he was a police officer, to leave his property and he didn't," Evans said. "Eighty years old, and they had to shoot him twice or more in order to subdue him. I'm very upset about it.

According to the JSO, Detectives Donald Maynard and James Narcisse were placed on paid administrative leave while Saturday's fatal shooting is investigated.

The previous Saturday, 18-year-old Douglas Woods was shot at Sabal Palms Apartments on Emerson Street by an undercover narcotics officer who said Woods had a gun and tried to rob them. Conflicting statements from witnesses of that shooting prompted calls last week for an independent investigation.

However, Rutherford announced in a live news conference on Monday evening new information in the case involving Woods, saying gunshot residue was found on the teen's gloves, proving he did fire shots at the officer.

The sheriff said it's easy for people to call for undercover drug operations to cease, but promised that undercover narcotics officers were going to be there. He said more people are calling the police to root out drug dealers, and JSO will continue the partnership.

"These street-level investigations help solve more serious crimes. These incidents are ground zero for many of the murders taking place in our community," Rutherford said.

He also said undercover procedures would be reviewed.

"It's our standard protocol, after each of these shootings we have a process that we go through to look at the individual actions of the officers to make sure they followed those protocols. Then, we look at the tactics to make sure we're doing them the best we can based on police experience," Rutherford said.