A coalition of clergy groups in Jacksonville is sounding the alarm about violent crime on the city’s streets.
This as the city of Baltimore is cleaning up after riots that erupted after an African-American man died in police custody, his spine nearly severed.
Faith leaders worry the same type of unrest is just under the surface here in our area.
However Pastor Mark Griffin of the city’s A.M.E. Ministers Alliance says he disagrees with calls to institute a 9 p.m. curfew in Jacksonville’s high-crime neighborhoods.
During an appearance on WJCT's First Coast Connect, Griffin said, "A curfew will not be a cure-all."
“We don’t need to reinvent the wheel," he said. "What might work in Baltimore or Ferguson may not work in Jacksonville, but we know what works and we need to do it.”
Griffin and other clergymen are have put forth a seven point plan to reduce crime that includes more community outreach and mirrors some of the initiatives of the Jacksonville Journey anti-crime initiative.
Listen to the entire interview with Griffin on today's episode of the First Coast Connect podcast.
You can follow Melissa Ross @MelissainJax.
