JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2014 Parks across Jacksonville are getting smarter \u2014 and safer.<\/p>\n
Mayor Donna Deegan unveiled the city\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese new cameras are connected to both JSO\u2019s Real-Time Crime Center and to the Parks Department,\u201d Mayor Deegan said. \u201cAccessible Wi-Fi is also a really important investment in making us a smarter community.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is about safety above all else,\u201d Deegan added. \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Local community activists say technology is key to Jacksonville\u2019s future. \u201cWe need the entire city to be in a more progressive state of mind, and technology does that,\u201d said community activist Diallo-Sekou Seabrooks. \u201cTechnology can move us forward faster and compete on an international level.\u201d<\/p>\n
The city is still working on expanding the initiative to Blue Cypress, Walter Jones, Oceanway, and the Taye Brown Cecil Aquatics and Equestrian Center \u2014 something the city says will be done before the end of the year.<\/p>\n
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