JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — 904WARD is organizing a series of community conversations in Jacksonville this August and September to address systemic issues in policing, highlighted by a recent violent incident involving William McNeil Jr. and a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) officer.

The incident with Mr. McNeil is not isolated but reflects broader systemic issues affecting Jacksonville’s Black community and public trust in law enforcement.

According to the Police Scorecard Project, JSO ranks 36th out of 40 Florida sheriff’s departments, with concerning statistics on use-of-force and civilian complaint outcomes.

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“At 904WARD, we believe in the power of courageous conversation and the responsibility to confront hard truths,” the organization stated, emphasizing the need for community dialogue.

The Police Scorecard Project highlights that Jacksonville uses more ‘less-lethal’ force per arrest than 41 percent of law enforcement departments. Despite this, only five percent of use-of-force complaints were ruled in favor of civilians.

From 2017 to 2022, there were 5,510 civilian complaints of police misconduct in Jacksonville, yet only seven percent of these cases were ruled in favor of civilians. Notably, no complaints of police discrimination were upheld during this period.

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904WARD invites the community to a series of educational conversations this August and September:

  • August 7 – Breaking the Code: Talking Through Encounters with Police: A community conversation exploring the coded language often used when discussing policing and justice, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at The Jessie August 14 – La Verdad Sobre ICE y la Policía: Community Facts and Stories A bilingual online session sharing stories and exposing the truth behind what is happening across our state regarding ICE and law enforcement 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. on Zoom (This session will be promoted and hosted with special care to protect participants and ensure responsible framing.)
  • August 19 – Justice on the Line: An interactive perspectives conversation diving into the nuances of policing and legal systems in communities of color, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at The Jessie
  • September 10 – Wine Down Wednesday: Raising the Age of Arrest, Part II A continued dialogue building on July’s discussion around juvenile justice and reform, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at The Jessie

For more information regarding registration for events, click here.

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