JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — We all hear about gangs — violence and gun violence hurting the community. A police unit is asking, "How do we get gangs out of Jacksonville?"
According to JSO, as of Aug. 1, there are 30 active gangs operating in Jacksonville. They have a total of 577 "documented members," JSO says.
Now JSO's gang unit is working with a man who goes by the name of "Switzerland" on the streets. He's a former gang member from New York who runs an independent mission called Group Violence Intervention.
Every Thursday the JSO gang unit meets at the State Attorney's office downtown. They target four homes each week, looking for young people seen waving assault rifles and guns in rap videos or frequently fighting at school and displaying gang symbols.
The armed police officers then escort Switzerland and his team to each home.
Here's some of the conversation on a porch at the home of a 13-year-old:
Switzerland: "Good morning. Are you the mom?"
"I'm the grandma."
"Do you know why we're here?"
"This is very serious."
He explains to the boy and grandma that the gang unit has targeted him for his behavior. He says the boy is not under arrest. He's there to help him avoid a criminal record or worse.
"This is a wake-up. This is a warning. You're a person of interest now to the gang unit. We're your rescuers. We're your saviors. We're here to keep you safe, alive and out of jail."
"You're 13 years old. You're going the wrong way. Thirteen years old!"
At first, the boy denies he's been fighting. But then he hears about ways he can get an education and a real job and make real money and stay alive.
Switzerland gives him and his family a number to call. After the visit, they eventually do reach out.
Who's Switzerland? He's Pastor Garland Scott, a former gang member from New York. He says he was the "enforcer."
"I was the one to hurt you, to beat you up if you didn't pay your debts," he said.
Scott says he "escaped" New York when he became a target to be killed.
And why the name of Switzerland? He says it's because, "I'm the safe place."
So far he and his team have knocked on 1,000 doors since 2016. Sheriff TK Waters has been a leading voice behind the effort.
And the success rate? According to JSO, out of the 1,000 homes, 50 percent have called in for help, and 30% have actually entered initiatives to help them gain a worthwhile life outside gangs.
Another major part of the mission is to relocate gang members or young people in serous trouble out of Jacksonville.
So far the team has relocated 39 people.
"Maybe 17 made it," Scott said. "The rest came back and they died within weeks or days."
Now, for the first time, a young man from the voluntary relocation effort has stepped forward to talk on television. He is 31-year-old Keenan Varner.
Varner agreed to show his picture from six months ago. You can see the obvious change.
"I've cleaned up definitely," Varner said. "I try to carry myself a little better here."
Now Keenan, who's in a secret location out of state, has a job. Quite the contrast to his life before.
He was charged with attempted murder and sentenced to prison for seven years for accessory after the fact.
He says Pastor Garland Scott has been there for him every step of the way. Now, he's been able to gain back his driver's license thanks to Scott. And he's tough on Keenan, even encouraging him to redo his hair and craft a more professional look. He tells Keenan, "Don't let yourself down."
As for the interview with First Coast News, Keenan says, "I agreed to talk with you today because I want to be somebody like my father."
His father is retired JSO detective Kim Varner, who is also grateful for Pastor Garland Scott's work.
And he has good reason.
Varner lost his other son, Keenan's brother, in 2015 on E. 11th St. in Jacksonville. He was called home one morning with JSO surrounding the scene around his residence. It was a murder.
"The [bullet] he got in his head, they stood over him. I can tell they did that," Varner says.
His son was shot execution style.
Varner doesn't choose to use the word, "gang." He says they are neighborhood cliques. Regardless, Varner says, "The streets are undefeated. That's the power of the streets."
Varner still wears the dog tags his son was wearing when he was shot. He says his misses him terribly. He's happy to see Keenan starting to thrive away from the violence on the streets.
"If something happened to my other son, I'd go crazy," Varner said.
As for Keenan, his father and Pastor Garland Scott say he's especially smart. His nickname in younger years was "the professor."
Now Keenan has hopes of going to college and becoming a poet or author.
He shares some of the poetry he's writing about his relocation:
If I leave now will I be a traitor?
If I trust God will I be in his favor?
When I leave I shall leave no remainder.
If I believe in myself
Won't I be greater?
No more police stations I want to put my goals on rotation. Be my own boss and receive no dictation.
... Build a better life on solid foundation."
Scott says if Keenan had not cooperated with the mission, "He'd probably go back to the same life and gotten killed. That's how it goes."
First Coast News asked JSO if any mom or family member can call and get help for a child they're worried about in possible gang activity. The JSO gang unit doesn't work that way. They target young people only on their lists from research.
However, Duval County Public Schools has reached out to the gang unit to develop a cooperative program to help youth.