LAW ENFORCEMENT

Small towns and big cities alike are struggling to recruit and retain law enforcement officers amid national controversy over the police profession. Many veteran officers are retiring, leaving agencies in a bidding war for qualified candidates — as they try to hire the next generation to protect and serve.

Criminologists tell News4JAX, we are in a crisis when it comes to training police officers. They point to three cases -- the murder of George Floyd, the mass shooting in Uvalde and now the killing of Tyre Nichols.

Kohberger is accused of killing four college students in Moscow, Idaho.

Law enforcement in Portage are growing increasingly worried as they search for a mother of eight who has been missing since Saturday.

Jacksonville Fire and Rescue responded and took her to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Shortly after midnight, patrol officers responded to the 1600 block of West 45th Street in reference to a person shot.

Gov. Ron DeSantis will honor the state’s police force by lighting the Florida Historic Capitol blue in recognition of National Police Week.

By the end of January, Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper says, 140 deputies will be wearing body cameras.

At Help Desk, we tackle your most pressing personal technology questions, starting with an Apple Watch for falls and downing invading drones.

Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement is implemented in more than 175 police and sheriff departments across the country.

News4Jax is taking a look at the needs of Northeast Florida sheriffs' offices.

Facing pressure to reduce skyrocketing Chicago violence, Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Friday said her administration will focus this summer on 15 police beats that she said account for a major chunk of the city’s street crime. Police will work in these areas but the city also will team up with community groups, libraries, and other providers to mentor young people as part of Lightfoot’s summer strategy, mirroring her administration’s previous approach to Chicago violence. The beats are largely concentrated on the South and West Sides, ranging from Austin, North Lawndale and West Humboldt Park to South Chicago, Roseland and Auburn Gresham.

Local law enforcement cleared the mall to resume business, though some retailers decided to close for the remainder of the day, and have certified that there is no present or immediate danger to the public, the statement said.

“We’re going to all the different zones in Duval County then from there we’re going to clay county and then ending up in Saint Johns County,” Dr. Saman Soleymani, Avecina Medical, said. Dr. Soleymani said his team is feeding nearly 600 officers in Duval, Clay and St. Johns Counties from 911 dispatch officers, to prison officers and those patrolling the streets. Dr. Soleymani and his team stopped at substation throughout the counties to drop off the hot meals. Soleimani and Dr. Modell at Avecina Medical are amazing,” Zona said. “They risk their lives to protect us and this is a way for us to thank them,” said Dr. Soleymani.

Law enforcement prepares for possibility of armed militias, voter suppression at Florida polling placesPublished: October 30, 2020, 6:04 pmWith just four days until election day, and tensions high across the country, law enforcement agencies are finalizing plans for security at voting sites.

In Nocatee, peopled lined the west side of Crosswater Parkway near Adventure Trail for the event to support law enforcement. “There is a lot of support out here for law enforcement, what they do,. Hundreds gathered in Nocatee to support law enforcement officers and agencies. A man holds a "Polive Lives Matter" sign Saturday at a law enforcement appreciation event at Race Track Road and Flora Branch Boulevard. There’s not a lot of people causing these problems for us, and continue to support law enforcement, continue to be law-abiding citizens, take care of your family and work hard.

VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED: Uncut cellphone video of shooting, confrontationNews4Jax crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson said video of crimes like this one can change the landscape of a police investigation. Jefferson said this video is very beneficial to investigators. Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, explained what a Glynn County police officer told her about how he died. “It’s a very disturbing video," Jefferson said. Officer Michael Slager initially said he used a taser gun on Walter Scott and Scott tried to take it after a traffic stop in Charleston, but the video showed a different story.

The woman’s shirt read “Homeless: The fastest way of becoming a nobody.”That was the message that inspired a touching photo in North Carolina Wednesday. Officer Michael Rivers of the Goldsboro Police Department shared a moment of compassion with a person in need. He was on his lunch break when he came upon a homeless woman he hadn’t seen before in the community. Rivers told CNN, "God put it on my heart to get her lunch." He got pizzas at a nearby restaurant, and for 45 minutes he ate and talked with the woman who said her name was Michelle.

Key law enforcement officials are working around the clock and around San Francisco's Levi's Stadium to make sure Sunday's big game is safe. Michelle Miller spoke with Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson about Super Bowl security.

American law enforcement officials have been warned of a possible ISIS terror plot against the U.S. military and law enforcement facilities. Jeff Pegues reports on the developments.

FBI warns U.S. law enforcement to be vigilant Following the two hostage crises in France, the FBI is warning American law enforcement to be alert. U.S. officials are studying the attack in France, as it has every terrorist strike since 9/11. Jeff Pegues reports.