Survey: Majority of Duval County residents feel safe in their neighborhood

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The majority of Duval County residents feel safe in their neighborhood, according to a survey put together by the Public Opinion Lab at the University of North Florida.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Community Survey, published in February, measures community attitudes and opinions toward public safety and law enforcement in Jacksonville.

The survey yielded 1,697 responses from individuals across the First Coast. 

Here are some of the key findings in the survey:

• Data indicates that 53% of all respondents approve of the way JSO is handling its job. This figure is down from 70% in 2021
• Sixty-eight percent of all respondents find JSO to be competent and courteous in their interactions
• Gun violence is the biggest safety concern for respondents across all six patrol zones
• Sixty-four percent of respondents agree that overall Jacksonville is a safe place to live

Most of the questions are broken down to reflect the patrol zone that the respondent lives in. In an open-ended question, respondents were asked what one thing JSO could do better in their neighborhood. 

The category with the greatest percentage of respondents across all zones was increasing visible presence and patrols, with 28% of the total sample. 

Respondents in Zone 1 (Downtown / Springfield / Eastside) had the most respondents asking for police to become more effective at reducing crime and increasing traffic control. 

Respondents in Zone 5 (Northwest / New Town / Baldwin) want a faster response time.

In terms of which public safety issue is the most concerning, gun violence is top of mind for all zones. 

Homelessness is also a concern for people living in Zone 4 (Riverside / Avondale / Ortega / Westside) and people living in Zone 2 (Arlington / Intracoastal West) want traffic safety issues to be addressed.

For a full summary of the survey, click here.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office issued a statement about the survey on Facebook.

"Sheriff Waters’ Administration is thankful to those who took the time to provide this invaluable feedback as it highlights areas for improvement, allowing the JSO to embrace our core value of always improving. As Sheriff’s Office personnel continue to reevaluate the boundaries of the city’s patrol areas, the Waters’ Administration is optimistic that the new divisions will address issues, provide a greater police presence throughout the city, and help make Jacksonville a safer place to live and work."