{"id":48711,"date":"2025-07-08T12:52:12","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T12:52:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/48711\/"},"modified":"2025-07-08T12:52:12","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T12:52:12","slug":"northside-resident-urges-jso-to-focus-on-youth-during-summer-months-so-they-can-use-their-energy-in-positive-ways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/48711\/","title":{"rendered":"Northside resident urges JSO to focus on youth during summer months so they can \u2018use their energy in positive ways\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.<\/strong> \u2013 As the Jacksonville Sheriff\u2019s Office kicks off its summer town hall series, one Northside resident is urging the department to focus more on young people, especially during the summer months.<\/p>\n

Yolanda Johnson reflected on a quiet Sunday afternoon when she saw a group of young people run out of a Wingstop and toss a lit sparkler under a parked car. <\/p>\n

She said that moment was a clear sign that more needs to be done to engage youth who have too much free time and not enough direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith them having less to do, they\u2019re finding creative ways to act out\u2014but it ends up being dangerous for others,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n

Johnson holds the youth close to her heart. Through her nonprofit, the Carrington Expedition Youth Foundation, she helps at-risk children by taking them on team-building trips and activities to help keep them on a positive path.<\/p>\n

Yolanda Johnson, Carrington Expedition Youth Foundation (Copyright 2025 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n

She said seeing youth struggle hits close to home for her because before being adopted, she was once in their shoes.<\/p>\n

News4JAX reporter Briana Brownlee<\/a> and photojournalist Jesse Hanson met her on the Northside\u2014JSO\u2019s largest district, where the department\u2019s first in a series of town halls will be held on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said these meetings are all about one goal: building a safer community.<\/p>\n

The sheriff told News4JAX that while crime concerns vary by area, the No. 1 issue he\u2019s hearing about across the board is traffic.<\/p>\n

When it comes to crime stats, so far in 2025, JSO has reported around 50 homicides \u2014 about the same as this time last year. That\u2019s notable, considering Jacksonville saw a historic drop in its murder rate in 2024.<\/a><\/p>\n

RELATED | <\/b>From Grief to Action: How JSO\u2019s Gang Unit is overcoming unique challenges to drive down Jacksonville\u2019s murder rate<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Tuesday\u2019s town hall is happening in District 6, which covers parts of the Northside, Oceanway, and San Mateo. <\/p>\n

Waters said the goal is simple: listen to residents, hear their concerns, and improve safety.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to hear what people are seeing, whether they feel safe\u2014and if not, why,\u201d Waters said. \u201cWhat can we do to make that better?\u201d<\/p>\n

While topics like crime, traffic, and recent deaths in jail custody are expected to come up, Johnson said she hopes youth programs won\u2019t be overlooked.<\/p>\n

\u201cJSO needs to promote the programs they already have,\u201d she said. \u201cIf more kids knew about them, they could use their energy in positive ways instead of destructive ones.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added that if parents paid more attention to what their children are doing, JSO might not be needed in many situations.<\/p>\n

Waters said he is all ears when it comes to feedback from the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will continue to listen to our public and do what they ask us to do because, like I said, I\u2019m their employee and we\u2019re their employees. So we want to make sure we listen and shape everything based on that,\u201d Waters said.<\/p>\n

Tuesday\u2019s meeting is at 6 p.m. at the Church of Eleven22 on the city\u2019s Northside. <\/p>\n

The schedule for the upcoming meetings:<\/p>\n