JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Parks across Jacksonville are getting smarter — and safer.
Mayor Donna Deegan unveiled the city’s new Safer Parks initiative on Tuesday. The program, which installs surveillance cameras and free Wi-Fi at more than a dozen public parks, was created to boost safety, connect communities, and give families peace of mind.
“These new cameras are connected to both JSO’s Real-Time Crime Center and to the Parks Department,” Mayor Deegan said. “Accessible Wi-Fi is also a really important investment in making us a smarter community.”
The cameras, purchased for $800,000, will provide coverage to the entire area of each of the parks. The Wi-Fi connections, on the other hand, were installed at no cost to the city.
“This is about safety above all else,” Deegan added. “The Safe Parks initiative means faster response times, better coordination with law enforcement, and a clear signal that our parks are protected spaces for our families, for our kids, and for our seniors.”
So far, Adolph Wurn, Baker Skinner, Clanzel T. Brown, Drew, Eartha Napoleon, Fort Family, Hanna, Lonnie Miller, the Legends Center, Memorial, and Patton Park are already fitted for surveillance and internet connection.
Local community activists say technology is key to Jacksonville’s future. “We need the entire city to be in a more progressive state of mind, and technology does that,” said community activist Diallo-Sekou Seabrooks. “Technology can move us forward faster and compete on an international level.”
The city is still working on expanding the initiative to Blue Cypress, Walter Jones, Oceanway, and the Taye Brown Cecil Aquatics and Equestrian Center — something the city says will be done before the end of the year.
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