JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A new report reveals answers as to why an anti-violence program was abruptly shut down in Jacksonville.
A report released Thursday by the Office of the Inspector General investigated the people in charge of Cure Violence in Moncrief. It accuses them of using their funding “questionably” and accuses a city office of lacking oversight.
Bridges To The Cure is the group that ran Cure Violence in Moncrief. The OIG report says they attempted to give $10,000 bonuses to the two leaders, but that those bonuses were rejected by workers in a city office – and that was the last straw for those workers.
The OIG report says investigators found “serious issues” with Bridges to the Cure regarding transparency, use of funds, record keeping and cooperation with the city.
The report also claims a lack of city oversight including failing to review invoices and perform site visits.
The report says the $10,000 attempted bonuses were seen as the “last straw” for workers in the city’s Division of Grants and Contract Compliance. It says soon after the bonuses attempt and “continued issues” with the group’s monthly invoices, the city terminated their contract.
First Coast News reached out to and stopped by the office of the leaders of Bridges to the Cure named in the report, but did not hear back.
"I have a personal reason that I take care of it because of losing my son to violence," said Kim Varner, who worked with Cure Violence on the east side when it first started.
The OIG investigation didn't look at whether the program worked, just at who was handling it.
"If somebody steps in and shows them a different way of doing things, i.e. Cure Violence, they'll take to it," Varner said about people the program could help.
Mayor Donna Deegan's office acknowledged in a statement the actions in the report were from before Deegan was mayor. The statement says her office accepts the findings as fair and necessary and that the report “lends evidence as to why” the city ended their relationship with Cure Violence. The statement says the mayor is committed to implementing safeguards for future programs.
"The program will work if you get out there and hit the streets and do what you're supposed to do," Varner said.
The city is now re-vamping the Jacksonville Journey Forward program, which is a new version of an anti-violence program some people have credited in the past for curbing violence.
The following is the full statement from the mayor's office:
"We accept the findings as a fair and necessary evaluation of the Cure Violence program. Transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement are fundamental principles of this administration, and the report lends evidence as to why the City ended its relationship with the Cure Violence initiative.
While the report is primarily focused on actions taken before Mayor Deegan took office, she remains committed to implementing safeguards for future programs and working with all city departments to uphold the highest standards of accountability for the people of Jacksonville.”