x
Breaking News
More () »

Arlington residents looking for answers to spike in violence

"If you see something say something, don't let these guys get away with this without somebody checking what they're doing."

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Arlington, a Jacksonville suburban community, has had its peace and security shattered by a spike in violence recently.

"These are lives being impacted," said City Councilwoman Joyce Morgan.

The latest incident was on Wednesday night near Merrill Road. The shooting left one man dead and two others fighting for their lives.

Since Oct. 3, there has been a spike in violence and the community is feeling a little uneasy.

"They are sporadic," said Carson Tranquille.

Tranquille is an Arlington businessman whose office is not too far from the recent shooting on Madison Road.

"We need to respond to them as quickly as possible," he said.

This type of spike in violence is not unusual to the realtor. He was a Jacksonville Sheriff's Officer for 30 years.

For two and half years, he was Zone 2 commander in Arlington. He said that during his tenure, the hot spot for violence was Justina Road and they were able to reduce the violence by 10 percent.

"When you see these spikes and so close together you think it is a war zone but it is far from that," said Tranquille.

It may be isolated, but the community finds it disturbing.

"It is very frustrating," said Joyce Morgan, "at this point we're not having enough answers, not understanding exactly what's going on." 

Morgan recently held a two hall-style meeting with Sheriff Mike Williams and Arlington residents. The tone was one of disgust and frustration.

Williams wants the community to know his department is now focused on the problem. Williams offered the following:

“The District 1 Town Hall discussion was extremely important – not only to address the concerns related to recent spike in violence within the Arlington area, but also to connect JSO with those citizens living in that area of our city. We have deployed additional resources to the Zone 2 area to support the patrol efforts there – our Violent Crime Impact teams are out there in the hot spots, along with our Investigations detectives who area following up on all the critical details of each incident. 

 JSO needs the community to be our partners in curbing this violence. No one knows the neighborhoods better than those that live there. It is those neighbors that can let us know when they see something out of place. Even the smallest detail may be the last piece to puzzle our investigators are looking for. Engaged neighbors are the ones that really can make a huge difference.”

Morgan, who said family members, are grieving every time alive is lost in the violence.

She wants the community to step up and help in the fight by letting police know when they see something.

"If you see something say something, don't let these guys get away with this without somebody checking what they're doing," said Morgan.

She said she is working with the area's civic organizations and others to address this issue before it gets out of control.

Before You Leave, Check This Out