Nathan Straus
Jacksonville Progress
JACKSONVILLE —
Neighborhood crime watches and general observation are essential tools to counter petty gang activity in Jacksonville, Police Chief Reece Daniel said. Though an issue in many cities, Daniel said the level of gang crime in the city can be effectively curbed by such processes as calling the police when a suspect gathering is seen.
“I’ve always characterized them as ‘wannabes’,” Daniel said. “It’s normal for any community in the U. S. that has more than three teenagers to have a wannabe gang; it’s not a new phenomenon.”
Daniel said gang activity within the city does not constitute a true organized gang in any way.
“We have kids who want to be gangsters and will gather together to do small crimes,” he added.
These can include graffiti vandalism, car burglary and fights amongst themselves, Daniel said.
Jacksonville resident Whitney Graham Carter said the sycamore tree outside her home, a tree over 150 years old, was a victim of such gang activity. It was tagged with the characters “L3”, for Los Latin Locos.
“It was spray-painted with the ‘L3’ gang sign. The very next day there was an obscene word painted over it,” Carter said.
Carter said she and her husband, Foster Carter, have had a home in the family for about 100 years and have just purchased two more homes on Sycamore Street for restoration purposes.
“We do whatever we can in terms of restoring the way the neighborhood used to look,” she said.
Carter said her neighborhood is one of the oldest in the city.
“The majority of rental properties were built in the 1930s,” Carter said. “If we don’t start repairing them now they could be lost.”
She also said a problem with the gang activity in the area likely stems from teenagers out of school with nothing to do during the day.
Daniel said he has target areas where such gang activity tends to occur and has stepped up patrols in these areas.
“We’re making life uncomfortable for them,” he said. “It’s not something indigenous to Jacksonville, but it’s not acceptable.”
Pat Graham, who also lives in Jacksonville, said the tree is a historical meeting place.
“How can you expect the town to prosper when it’s litter-filled and trashed,” Graham said. “I’ve seen teenagers, 12 to 16-year-olds, walking up and down the street. The point is there are children out of school who should be in school.”
