Police Involved Shootings Response to Resistance and the Rise of Gun Violence in Jacksonville Sheriff John H. Rutherford January 2009 1
2007 & 2008 Officer Involved Shooting Incidents Officer Involved Shootings 2007 & 2008 30 28 24 25 20 18 16 14 18 15 10 5 0 Total Armed Suspects Arrmed w/firearm 2007 2008 2
2007 & 2008 Officer Involved Shooting Incidents Suspects Armed in Officer Involved Shootings - by Weapon 18 18 16 14 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 1 0 0 1 1 3 0 2 0 Firearm Bottle Stick Car Knife 2007 2008 3
2007 & 2008 Officer Involved Shooting Incidents Officer Involved Shootings - Outcomes 14 14 12 10 10 8 4 6 4 1 2 0 2007 2008 Officers Shot or Stabbed Suspects Killed or Died 4
Incidents Where One or More Firearm is Stolen Incidents Where One or More Firearm is Stolen 1400 1359 1200 979 1058 1000 800 621 705 766 730 600 400 200 0 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 5
Firearm Thefts Increasing In 2002, firearms were stolen in 621 crime incidents. By 2008, firearms were stolen in 1,359 incidents a 119% increase in six years. The number of firearms stolen per incident has remained steady (appx. 1.3 firearms) These numbers represent the reported firearm thefts to law enforcement. Theft of illegal guns are rarely reported. 6
FIREARMS USED AS A WEAPON All Crimes Number of Incidents where Firearm(s) was Primary Weapon 4000 3500 3683 3426 3000 2500 1848 2201 2242 2390 2625 2000 1500 1000 500 0 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 7
Suspects Use Firearms At Alarming Rate of Increase In 2002 firearms were the primary weapon in the commission of 1,848 incidents. Last year, in 2008, firearms were the primary weapon in the commission of 3,426 reported incidents. This represents a 85% of increase in the use of firearms in the commission of a crime. 8
VIOLENT CRIMES vs FIREARMS USED IN VIOLENT CRIMES Number of Violent Crime Incidents Involving A Firearm Compared to All Violent Crime Incidents 4500 4000 4249 3840 3595 3659 3596 3999 4283 3500 3278 3139 3000 2500 2044 2034 2164 2311 2000 1623 1500 1000 500 0 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 FIREARM TOTAL 9
Suspects Use Firearms At Alarming Rate of Increase In 2002 38% (1,623 of 4,249) of incidents of violent crime involved a firearm as the primary weapon. Last year, 2008, 73% (3,139 of 4,283) of incidents of violent crime involved a firearm as the primary weapon. This represents an overall 93% increase in the use of firearms in the commission of a violent crime from 2002-2008. However, the total number of violent crime incidents increased overall only 0.8% from 2002 2008. Only 34 more violent crimes, but 1,516 more incidents of violent crime 10 involving guns.
Targeted Enforcement Nets More Seizures of Illegal Firearms* FIREARMS SEIZED 892 888 900 800 700 600 508 541 649 747 798 500 400 300 200 100 0 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 *Includes all firearms seized. Includes Gun Bounty does not include gun buybacks. 11
Firearm Seizures and Targeted Enforcement In 2002, JSO confiscated 508 firearms. This includes any firearm that is obtained by an officer in the course of law enforcement activities.* In 2008, JSO officers took 798 firearms off of Jacksonville s streets during enforcement activities.** This represents a 57% rate of change in seven years. Handguns continue to represent about 70% of these other weapon types have increased, including assaultstyle weapons, at a relative rate. *Includes calls for service; arrest; traffic stops; investigations; etc. ** Includes Gun Bounty not any gun buybacks (abandoned) or found property. 12
Targeted Enforcement Getting the Guns 2003 marks the start of enhanced Crime Analysis mapping and data analysis available to Patrol and Detectives Operation Showdown begins in 2003. Targets guns, drugs and prostitution in specific geographical areas of town. After Active Showdown enforcement phase, Officers work Maintenance to sustain neighborhood improvements address new issues quickly. 13
More Tactics to Get the Guns 2006 - Operation Safe Streets begins covertly. Targets illegal guns, the criminals who use them, and the geographic hot spots where they are prevalent. Overtime $$ puts additional Officers in the breach in high violence neighborhoods. 2007 Gun Bounty program has 1 yr anniversary (Aug.) with more than 739 anonymous tips. 117 guns recovered 104 arrests. Public assistance working with the police increases dramatically. (Tips, ShAdCo) 2008 Overtime continues (Oct 08-current) with increased Patrol efforts focused on guns/gun crimes. 14
When Suspects Have Firearms & Resist Police When Suspects Have Firearms & Resist Police 45 41 41 40 35 30 25 20 15 24 15 10 10 7 10 5 0 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 * Response to Resistance reports are not written for arrests of armed suspects that comply. 15
Resistance With Firearms Increases In 2002 there were 15 incidents where guns were present and the suspect(s) violently resisted police.* In 2008, there were 41 incidents where guns were present and the suspect(s) violently resisted police.* This represents a 173% increase. During this same seven year period, overall reported responses to resistance have increased by less than half that rate. (79% - 299 vs 536)** * - With or without using the weapon (RTR Report written) ** -Does not include corrections 16
We ve Been Going Where the Guns Are JSO efforts have focused on gun crimes and the geographic areas highly affected by gun crimes. This fact, combined with the increased use of guns by suspects, puts JSO Officers in the breach where they are more likely to be engaged by armed suspects. 17
Our officers have gone into the community and engaged law abiding citizens, creating partnerships. We currently have citizens working with us in numbers never seen before, giving us tips and asking us to come into their neighborhoods to remove the criminal element and improve their quality of life. That is Community Policing. Comparisons of Jacksonville s police involved shootings to those in other cities have been grossly misleading, but that s not the issue. The issues are the gratuitous nature of street violence, the raw number of firearms on the street, and the propensity of criminals to use them against the public and the police. Other compounding factors include socioeconomics, per capita population, officer to population ratios, and demographics. These are not just numbers. We are talking about lives. But, what is happening in other cities has no bearing on what my officers are experiencing when they stand in the breach between the gun toting criminals and an unarmed Jacksonville citizen. At the moment they are making that split second decision to use lethal force in defense of themselves or the public, these officers are not concerned about what is happening in Miami or Orlando or Tampa. That is of no interest to my officers, nor should it be. They are responding to the violent resistance they are encountering. Last year, three JSO officers were shot and one stabbed. We have some of the best trained, most highly skilled police officers in this country. This is reflected in the fact that although there were more than 3500 violent felony* arrests in 2008, fewer than 1% resulted in police involved shootings. Furthermore, we have the most transparent, professional, fact finding criminal and administrative review processes for police involved shootings. Processes that are led by experts, not emotion. I believe the community expects accountability. I am accountable for the final determination of wrong doing in all police actions. I will not compromise the integrity of our processes, nor will I abdicate my responsibility to lead this Agency. John H. Rutherford Sheriff, Duval County *Murder, rape, robbery, aggravated battery, aggravated assault and arson. 18
Visit COJ.NET/SHERIFF to: Learn more about this and other important issues With our complete & accurate News & Reports To view JSO press conferences, in their entirety live online To join a ShAdCo; Leave a Tip or Make a Suggestion 19