JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The crime wave in Jacksonville that left 15 people dead in a month -- including a 22-month-old boy -- came as no surprise to former Sheriff John Rutherford.
He said he saw the crime wave coming when his force was downsized in 2011 by Mayor Alvin Brown's administration. During those citywide cuts, 147 officer positions were left vacant and 92 community service officers were sent packing.
“I'm afraid violent crime is going to suffer as a result of that until we're able to get those guys back,” Rutherford said. “I blamed it on (Brown) during the campaign. Heck yeah.”
Even though 40 new community service officers will be on the streets this summer and another 170 JSO officers are currently in training -- 40 new officers and 130 to replace retiring officers -- Rutherford said that's not going to be enough right now.
“Here is the challenge that Sheriff (Mike) Williams and Mayor (Lenny) Curry are going to face: It takes a long time to bring that resource back up the strength,” Rutherford said.
In the meantime, many citizens are concerned the the city's streets are just too dangerous and campaign promises from Curry and Williams on increasing officers and reducing crime are not being kept.
“I am committed. I am in this for the long haul,” Curry said. “I welcome the criticism. Stay on us. We are not going to sleep until this is solved.”
According to Curry and Williams, the promised new officers are coming -- 40 will be on the streets by the end of the year.
But the budget to fund those officers just got approved, and it takes time to train them, Curry said.
The mayor took to the streets Monday to get answers after the death of toddler Aiden McClendon forced the city to take a look at how it's spending money and using resources to fight crime.
“I am angry. I am grieving. This is a sad day for Jacksonville. It was a sad weekend,” Curry said. “Mike and I took office July 1. We inherited the situation where years have gone by where the city budget did not invest in the Sheriff’s Office. That is just a fact."
Curry said programs for at-risk youth were cut, too, along with the officers.
“What we are seeing happening now is the result of years of neglect,” Curry said. “We are having to react as quickly as we can. That is where the enforcement piece comes in.”
Curry and Williams said they will accomplish that in the short term by funding $1.5 million for overtime to put more officers on the streets. Curry said that is one fix until new officers can come on board.
“The long-term solution to this is prevention and intervention. But right now, because our police force is so depleted, we are seeing now what strained resources look like,” Curry said.
A spokesman for former mayor Brown sent a statement to News4Jax responding to the comments from Curry and Rutherford:
"Mayor Brown has not been in office for eight months. The suggestion that someone who stopped being mayor in June 2015 is somehow responsible for crime happening now is unfortunate and inaccurate. Pointing fingers at former elected officials does not solve the problem. The focus should be on supporting victims of this senseless violence, working to ensure perpetrators are held accountable, and giving young people alternatives to crime."