The Chicago-based crime-fighting program Cure Violence has issued its research findings and plans to combat crime in Jacksonville.
The group visited and performed their assessment of the city in February. They began their visit by meeting with Mayor Lenny Curry, State Attorney Melissa Nelson, and Sheriff Mike Williams and other key staff.
A city spokesperson says Cure Violence's meeting with the three major faces of the city revealed that all the entities were aligned more than in any other city the anti-violence group has been to.
(MORE: Community cautiously optimistic about Cure Violence, the crime-fighting program out of Chicago)
The City says Cure Violence also spoke with hundreds of community members during their assessment.
Through the assessment, the City says the group was able to identify the "chronic hot spots" in Jacksonville where crime is prevalent.
According to Cure Violence's assessment, an area where the group needs to explore is contact with one of the city's main trauma hospitals, UF Health.
Cure Violence says their research found around 80% of the city's more significant gunshot victims are treated at UF Health.
Gaining access to the hospital will mean the possibility of interviewing family and victims of shootings, the group says. They say doing this will play into their larger violence prevention efforts and could have a major impact in terms of potential retaliatory shootings.
For Cure Violence's full report on their findings and plan for Jacksonville, follow the link below:
