JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — No, you can't rent it for a family birthday party.
But the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office's new mobile video gaming center with twin big screens, plus Nintendo, xBox and PlayStation5 loaded on board could be coming to an event at a city park near you, all in the name of community relations.
The trailer, unveiled this month at the Pace Center for Girls Jacksonville, comes as numerous questions about the Sheriff's Office's lukewarm relations with some parts of town are being asked during debates with the five people running to be Jacksonville's next sheriff.
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Chief Deloris Patterson O'Neal said the new project allows neighborhoods to meet the men and women with badges who ride their area. Patrol officers can take the trailer out any day of the week or on weekends and set it up, she said.
"Kids come to us so they can play video games, and the officers can play with them as well," O'Neal said. "That's another way for us to partner in the community so we can build upon the relationships we already have. ... They can see us as human and not just a person with a uniform that they have to be afraid of."
Taking part in Pace programs after her first day at school, 16-year-old Kyra took a turn at a game controller with a sergeant when the trailer was unveiled. She said she loves video games, so the idea of the Sheriff's Office sending one to communities "makes me happy."
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"It is actually cool for them to get out and interact with us," she said. "You see them doing what they have to do, and some people think of them as bad or have different opinions. But me, I would like to get to know them personally and learn about what they go through on a daily basis."
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The trailer is a joint project between the Sheriff's Office, Vystar Community Credit Union and Availity, a health information network.
The Sheriff's Office used a trailer that had been confiscated from criminals. Inmates at the city's Montgomery Correctional Center on Lannie Road renovated it so it can hold two Sheriff's Office big-screen TVs. Sponsors paid about $4,000 for the video game systems and colorful trailer wrap.
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It is operated through the department's Community Engagement Division, which lets residents get to know police officers who work in their part of town. Those programs include the Citizens Police Academy and Sheriff's Watch, plus Police Explorers, Teen Police Academy and Teen Driver Challenge.
O'Neal initially came up with the idea a few years ago when she was assistant chief in Zone 5, which includes the city's Northwest, New Town and Baldwin area. The plan grew as the COVID-19 pandemic eased, and the Sheriff's Office began bringing on sponsors.
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Soon, children, teens and even adults will be able to race police officers on Mario Kart or compete in another video game in a new form of community policing.
"I thought, man, wouldn't this be a great tool for us to use with our youth," O'Neal said. "Today is the day it is finally being unveiled and I am so happy about it. ... We already interact with kids and adults as well. This is definitely part of our community policing."
The Pace Center at 2933 University Blvd. N. opened in 1985 and helps about 3,000 girls annually throughout Duval County through academic and Pace Reach programs. O'Neal is a board member.
The mobile gaming trailer can be requested through the Sheriff's Office's Community Engagement Division at (904) 630-2160 or JSOCommunityEngagement@jaxsheriff.org.
dscanlan@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4549
