CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels and his team met with people living on the edge of his jurisdiction for the monthly Sheriff’s Neighborhood Walk that took place Monday night.
The walk, which started at Golden Pond Boulevard and Island View Circle, gave people who live and work in Oakleaf a chance to chat with law enforcement. In the last month, there have been a handful of reports of assaults, burglaries and vandalism -- which was part of the reason deputies walked the area.
Daniels opened the walk with a few comments of encouragement and then a prayer. Then the sheriff and his staff started taking mental and physical notes.
"It's a win-win for everybody. We get, you know, you look around and you see kids around here. You're breaking down stereotypes with these children. I'm high-fiving kids and just humanizing, not only myself, but humanizing law enforcement as a whole," Daniels said. "I think it's a good thing."
People in the neighborhood told News4Jax they agree. They had concerns to share, one of which was about careless drivers.
"Well, you noticed the cars are passing by here going really slow. But as soon as the sheriff leaves, they'll be flying by here," said Anthony Sinacore, who lives in the neighborhood. "We got speed bumps over here, which really don't do anything at all."
Brian Eliason, who also lives in the neighborhood, agreed.
"That's our biggest gripe right now is just speeders," Eliason said. "They want to put a motorcycle unit or an undercover in my driveway, go right ahead. Just slow them down. I mean, it's just getting a little too much."
Other people said they just appreciate talking to the Sheriff’s Office about how their community is changing.
One 5-year-old Sheriff’s Office enthusiast was wearing a custom-made uniform.
Dianna Boase came to the walk to show she cares because she drives a school bus in the area. She said the concern she raised to the sheriff was about red stop arms.
"At the end of the day, (it's about) the safety for our kids, safety for our community, safety for the drivers," Boase said. "We have red stop arm runners all the time and that's a pet peeve for us drivers."
Pet peeves and personal concerns were all conveyed to law enforcement in the hourlong walk.
When asked why this particular community was chosen for the walk Monday evening, the Sheriff's Office spokesman told News4Jax that it was partly because of crime trends, but also because that area is right next to Duval County and Clay County is watching what happens over the county line, too.
If you want to suggest an area for a crime walk, the Sheriff’s Office says it's looking for your suggestions on its social media pages, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.