JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — People living in Southside Jacksonville got a friendly surprise Saturday morning when Sheriff T.K. Waters came knocking on their doors.
It was part of a crime prevention walk, one of many the sheriff has held since he took office.
A handshake, a friendly conversation, a booklet packed with information, that is what Mark Barrett was left with after Sheriff T.K. Waters came knocking on his door.
“I think it’s great that he’s getting out, supporting the people," said Barrett, who has lived in the area for 35+ years.;
Living in this Southside Estates Community off Hogan Road, Barrett has seen the impact of crime on the area.
“There was the drug house, but nobody lives there now, and they’ve condemned the house," Barrett said.
Hearing concerns like this is one of the reasons the walk took place,
“We want to meet with our community, we want to talk to our community members, I just want people to understand that I’m a real person and I understand there are real issues and I’m ready to hear them, and I want them to meet me and I want to meet them," Waters, said.
The group more than 30 strong included the sheriff, multiple officers representing the zone and members from the community watch program.
The hope is that these one-on-one conversations could lower crime.
“I think the closer we get to our community, the closer we get to one another, the more trust we build, the more I’ll hear about the issues, crime stoppers, all that stuff builds up and helps," Waters said.
The sheriff says his goal is to go around to each zone here in Jacksonville, doing these crime prevention walks and talking with community members.