JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Five Points is named after its five-way intersection at the end of Park Street, but it’s more like 'Four Points' on Friday and Saturday nights lately.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office started closing down Park Street near the Sunray to traffic on Friday and Saturday nights, while increasing patrols in the area.
“They start shutting down at 8," said Cuisine 76 Host Llahsmin Randall.
Randall says JSO’s new Five Points routine is like clockwork, just when business at Cuisine 76 starts increasing for the night, police officers start flashing lights and shutting roads down.
Sure enough, this Saturday more than a dozen cruisers gathered by a vacant building and rolled out around 8:30 p.m., circling the area and closing down Park Street to cars.
“Cops just blocking off the streets," said Randall. "I started seeing horses, too, cops on horses.”
Randall says it all started about three months ago one night when things on Park Street got a bit out of hand.
“Whole bunch of people out on the streets, people drinking, partying, jumping up on random cars, dancing," said Randall. "It was kind of chaotic, trash everywhere.”
Randall says she’s noticed a spike in the amount of police around on Friday and Saturday nights right after that.
First Coast News asked JSO about it and the agency said in a statement:
“Officers will continue to be present, but it is to ensure the safety and security of our community which is of paramount importance. Having visible and active police presence we aim to deter any potential issues that may arise, and address concerns promptly.”
Randall says the drastic change in police in the area has been a bit of a Catch 22.
“I feel safe with cops around, but maybe for businesses and stuff like that, it’s not so good," said Randall.
JSO gave no indication about changing the weekend plan in Five Points at any point in the foreseeable future.