by Natasha Khairullah
Staff Writer
The folks attending Wednesday’s gathering of the Mayor’s Older Buddies got a treat when the MOB originator himself made an appearance.
“I hope that you all are doing well,” said former Mayor Jake Godbold, who created the concept while in office from 1979-87. “I still think about you all the time and I’m still trying to do everything I can to look after you. I hope the mayor has been keeping his word.”
The Mayor’s Older Buddies program, established under Godbold, was re-established by Mayor John Peyton for Jacksonville’s seniors. Godbold said he created MOB because he wanted something constructive for older citizens to be a part of.
“When I went in office, I asked myself: ‘How the hell do we get them out of those towers, to get them out to be active?’ They were staying home,” he said. “Our goal was to have picnics, take them to concerts and football games and just have a good time. We wanted this to keep them active and keep them going. From the looks of these people here today, we’re continuing to meet our goal.”
Peyton and Sheriff John Rutherford met with the group primarily to address public safety and the new Gun Bounty initiative, according to Peyton, as well as to recognize the efforts of the community.
Peyton kicked off the four-hour event by acknowledging that each of his “older buddies” was the main reason the community has become so effective in reducing violent crimes in the city over the past 16 years.
“For things to work, we need the entire community to respond to what’s going on around them, effectively,” said Peyton. “That’s exactly what each and every one of you are doing and I thank you for that.”
Rutherford discussed the city’s recent murder rate and the JSO’s Gun Bounty program, an initiative that will reward individuals in the community with $1,000 if they provide an illegal gun possession tip that leads to an arrest. Rutherford also provided new ways the MOB could become involved in keeping recidivism down and preventing future crimes.
“If I asked many of you today whether or not Jacksonville is safer today than it was 16 years ago, you’d say no,” said Rutherford “But it is. If you do not hang around people who do drugs, if you’re not hanging around people who carry guns and if you’re treating your spouse properly, your chances of being murdered are slim to none.”
Rutherford also encouraged the group to keep their eyes open to the community around them and to continue reporting crime tips.
“One of the main things that we need is for you to tell us who the criminals are,” said Rutherford. “We’ve got an issue with firearms and we’re addressing that but we need to know more.”