At 904WARD, we believe in the power of courageous conversation and the responsibility to confront hard truths. The recent violent incident involving Mr. William McNeil Jr. and a  Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) officer is not an anomaly. It is a reflection of systemic issues that continue to harm Jacksonville’s Black community and fracture public trust. 

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According to the Police Scorecard Project, a nationwide public evaluation of policing in the United States, JSO ranked 36th out of the 40 reporting Florida sheriff’s departments.  Several key data points are included in this concerning ranking:

• Our city used more “less-lethal” force per arrest than 41 percent of law enforcement departments, yet only five percent of use-of-force complaints were ruled in favor of civilians.  

• From 2017 to 2022, there were 5,510 civilian complaints of police misconduct.  Only seven percent of the cases were ruled in favor of civilians.  No complaints of police discrimination were upheld.

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These troubling statistics, coupled with state policies that allow for increased police violence while limiting civilian oversight, create conditions that make outcomes like Mr. McNeil’s not just possible but predictable.

 

This August and September, we invite our community to a series of interactive and educational conversations to confront these realities and work toward solutions: 

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• August 7 – Breaking the Code: Talking Through Encounters with Police: A community conversation exploring the coded language often used when discussing policing and justice, 6:00 to 7:30 PM at The Jessie 

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• August 14 – La Verdad Sobre ICE y la Policía: Community Facts and Stories A bilingual online session sharing stories and exposing the truth behind what is happening  across our state regarding ICE and law enforcement 6:30 to 8:00 PM on Zoom (This session  will be promoted and hosted with special care to protect participants and ensure responsible framing.) 

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• August 19 – Justice on the Line: An interactive perspectives conversation diving into the nuances of policing and legal systems in communities of color, 6:00 to 7:30 PM at The Jessie 

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• September 10 – Wine Down Wednesday: Raising the Age of Arrest, Part II A continued dialogue building on July’s discussion around juvenile justice and reform, 6:00  to 7:30 PM at The Jessie 

 

For the full list of events and to register, visit www.904WARD.org/events

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We cannot change the culture of policing without transparency, education, and sustained advocacy, and we can’t do it alone. We will continue to work alongside partner organizations to drive reform and amplify the call for justice. ​

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904WARD remains committed to creating racial healing and equity through deep conversations and learning, trusting relationships, and collective action. 

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Together, we will work toward creating an end to racism in Jacksonville so all people thrive.