JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan on Tuesday made a proclamation declaring April 6-12 “Crime Victims Rights Week” as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s yearly movement to highlight resources for survivors and victims of crimes in communities across the country.
“Today is a day to gather in solidarity,” Deegan said before giving the proclamation in City Hall. “When we work together to foster kinship and compassion, we strengthen access to critical resources and empower survivors to reclaim their voices, which is so very important.”
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
Deegan stood alongside city and state leaders to pledge a local effort to connect those who’ve suffered through crimes with local resources to help them. City Council members, officials with the State Attorney’s Office and Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters were some of the leaders who stood with her.
“I know how these cases can shatter families and have ripple effects for generations,” Waters said.
Both the sheriff and the mayor made a different kind of promise less than a day ago during a meeting with northeast Florida church leaders on the Northside. ICARE Jax, which represents a few dozen local churches, called on Deegan to help create a trust fund for money to be put toward affordable housing projects.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
The group also celebrated what it describes as a drop in Jacksonville’s murder rate in recent years. Action News Jax records show there were 51 deadly shootings in Duval County in 2024. We reported more than twice as many, 112, in 2023. Waters is promising police with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office will keep bringing that number down.
“There are different things that we’re doing, but a lot that involves the enforcement side focusing in on the people that we know are violent people who have no intent on doing things right the right way,” Waters said during the meeting with ICARE.
The city of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office both have resource centers for crime victims and survivors. To view the Justice Department’s list of nationwide resources, click the link here.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
