by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
The murder rate that ails Jacksonville is a symptom of Duval County’s growing role in the international drug market, said the City’s director of investigations and homeland security Monday.
Director Michael Edwards said the County’s murder rate, the state’s highest for six years running, is driven in part by competition for drug profits. Edwards appeared Monday before the City Council’s Finance Committee, asking for $80,000 to pay for a community initiative aimed at reducing the rate.
With 15 murders already in the books just five weeks into 2006, Duval County needs the help, he said. That number puts the County on a pace to double its 91 murders in 2005.
“We’re off to a terrible start,” said Edwards. “We know what the problems are. Now it’s a matter of coming up with a solution.”
One of the problems is simple supply and demand. Cocaine is relatively expensive in Northeast Florida, making it an attractive place for dealers, said Edwards after his comments to the Council.
“You can buy a kilo for $13,000 in Texas and sell it here for $24,000,” he said. “People are willing to take risks and break laws for that kind of money.”
Jacksonville’s location also makes it a convenient point for drug trafficking in the Southeast United States, he said. The drugs and money circulating among Miami, Orlando and Atlanta frequently pass through Jacksonville.
Jacksonville’s easy access to transportation routes also makes it an attractive stop. With a large port, access to two interstate highways and an extensive rail network, the City is a trading hub for goods both legal and illegal.
Edwards said the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office keeps an eye on all those routes into Jacksonville. But the JSO’s jurisdiction is limited by Duval County’s boundaries, making cooperation with state and federal authorities essential.
The JSO has responded by focusing on the local drug trade. Edwards pointed to several large drug busts since 2003. An arrest for drug trafficking often keeps a potential murderer off the street, he said.
The JSO believes that drug arrests dating back to 2000 have taken 41 murder suspects off the street. About one in five murders in Duval County are drug-related, said Edwards.
“The idea is to get these individuals off the street for drug charges, and keep them off for an extended period of time,” he said.
The JSO has also put more resources into “hotspots” around Jacksonville where murders are most frequent and focused on disrupting aggravated battery. Edwards said those assaults often carry murderous intent with just one small difference.
“The only difference between murder and aggravated assault and battery is that usually the individual is a bad shot,” he said. “If he were a better shot, it would be a murder.”
The Finance Committee unanimously approved funding for the study. The money still requires approval from the full Council. If approved there, the Homicide Task Force Project will join JSO and Jacksonville Community Council, Inc. with citizens and community leaders to look for solutions. The money comes, in part, from seized drug money.