JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — More than one year after Jacksonville ended the “Cure Violence” program, Action News Jax is learning about a lack of oversight from the city, poor management, and high salaries inside the nonprofit running the program.
The idea behind using “Cure Violence,” run by Bridges to the Cure LLC, was to send outreach workers into the city to diffuse conflicts before they become violent.
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The program started in 2019 and the city pulled the contract in 2023.
The city’s Office of Inspector General found the city failed to perform oversight, including site visits, invoices for monthly payments, and verifying progress.
In just one year, the program paid six employees more than $1 million. That’s more than $186,000 per person.
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“Representatives of Bridges to the Cure were offered an opportunity to speak with investigators regarding the findings, but they declined to provide a sworn statement to investigators,” a release from the city’s Office of Inspector General said.
The OIG said it encourages the public to report any instances of fraud, waste, and abuse by calling (904) 255-5800 or emailing InspectorGeneral@coj.net.
You can read the full report from the OIG on Bridges to the Cure below:
Report of Investigation 2024 0010 by ActionNewsJax on Scribd
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