Jacksonville police disperse 600-700 juveniles at planned downtown takeover; what we know
Planned mob-like gatherings of young people have become disruptive and sometimes violent, but local authorities have been proactive and responsive like Saturday night, July 26, in downtown Jacksonville.
Officers dispersed a crowd of about 600 to 700 juveniles on the city’s Southbank near Friendship Fountain, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
“Some individuals were engaged in problematic behavior, including drug use, fighting and pepper-spraying each other,” the Sheriff’s Office said.“ JSO was aware of several planned ‘takeover’ events circulating on social media and monitored the situations closely, noting the organizers used multiple locations in an attempt to be deceptive.”
Before it even started, the Sheriff’s Office said officers issued warnings to the events’ organizer and parents advising against such a gathering without obtaining a city permit.
That didn’t stop them as crowds emerged and quickly grew larger and more unruly, the Sheriff’s Office said. With the St. Johns River Park, also referred to as Friendship Fountain, closing at 10 p.m., officers began to disperse the gathering and arrested a juvenile reaching for his backpack that had a gun inside.
They also blocked nearby roads, including access to the Main Street bridge, to prevent participants from relocating.
“These takeover-style gatherings are not only illegal, but they can also be extremely dangerous,” the Sheriff’s Office said. ”JSO will continue to monitor similar situations, enforce local curfews and uphold park regulations to ensure public safety.”
What is a street takeover?
Jacksonville police disperse a planned street takeover crowd of 600 to 700 teens downtown on July 26.
A street takeover is an unsanctioned event where a group of people gather, often using motor vehicles, to engage in reckless driving and other dangerous activities like blocking intersections for spectators.
These events are often promoted on social media and frequently involve stunts, races and hot-rodding. They are considered unlawful and pose significant risks to public safety, including endangering drivers, passengers and spectators, as well as causing property damage, noise complaints and hindering emergency services.
They are illegal and in many jurisdictions are classified as a public nuisance — an activity that disrupts safety, order or comfort in a community.
Are there concerns about the trend of street takeovers?
The Jacksonville Beach Police Department released video of the mass gathering of young people on St. Patrick’s Day that was the precursor to four people being shot. This is an image showing what one of the ogranizers said was participants taking each other on in football-like “Oklahoma Drills.”
Following the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office posting of a video and response to the matter, the Jacksonville Beach Police Department did the same.
“I have been speaking about teen takeovers for the past few months. We have been experiencing these for years, but now there is an official name for it,” Police Chief Gene Paul Smith said. “A few weeks ago, it was occurring at the Orange Park Mall, this week it was at Friendship Fountain in downtown Jacksonville, and these events are regularly occurring throughout the country” and “… often escalate to violence and property destruction.”
“We have been fortunate in Jacksonville Beach because we have prevented any teen takeovers from gaining traction, and we have prevented numerous ones from even starting,” he said. “With large and popular public spaces like the beachfront and boardwalk, it is a constant challenge for us.”
In addition, the department issued another warning on July 17 on its Facebook.
“Unauthorized and Unpermitted Events are AGAINST THE LAW,” the post read. “Unauthorized events include any event or gatherings that are publicly promoted and have not successfully completed the Special Events application process. This includes promoting on Instagram, SnapChat, Facebook, etc.”
Promoters will be subject to both criminal and civil liabilities, and attendees breaking the law will be arrested, the department advised.
“Zero Tolerance. No warnings. No do-overs. No second chances. Just some handcuffs and a trip to jail,” the concluded.
This also followed a more serious planned gathering of upwards of 400 teens at the Jacksonville Beach Pier on St. Patrick’s Day last year that led to three shootings and one killed during the chaos.
What happened at the Orange Park Mall?
In Clay County, the chief was referring to the Sheriff’s Office there warning ahead of time on Facebook that it would be out in force for an orchestrated gathering planned at the mall on July 5.
The young people still caused concern and disturbances that prompted a raid by deputies, sending hundreds of participants scurrying. Social media posts and videos went viral overnight.
Sheriff Michelle Cook later said one juvenile civil citation was issued, a number of kids were detained and parents were called for pickup” during the incident.
Does Jacksonville have a curfew?
Yes, the Sheriff’s Office advised parents and legal guardians to be aware of Jacksonville’s curfew ordinance: “Under Municipal Code Section 603.201 (Children’s Curfew), you are legally responsible for knowing the whereabouts and activities of your minor children. In general, children under the age of 18 may not be out in public after 11 p.m. on weeknights or after 12 a.m. on weekends unless accompanied by an adult or participating in a permitted activity such as work.”
In addition, Florida has a driver’s curfew that governs juveniles operating motor vehicles. For more information visit the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles website.
What are people saying about street takeovers?
Jacksonville police block off downtown streets during a planned juvenile takeover that was getting out of hand on July 26.
Plenty.
As of 5:30 p.m. July 27, about 1,300 comments flooded the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Facebook post. Here’s a sampling:
“Where are their parents? Nothing good ever happens after midnight!”
“I grew up with every TV channel…there were only 4…saying, ‘It’s ten o’clock. Do you know where your children are?'”
“Drove through San Marco last night and randomly saw this group, looked like nothing but trouble. Thanks JSO for breaking it up.”
“Maybe you should change time of curfew till kids get under control. When will you start holding parents accountable?”
“Thugs are running the streets.”
“I seen this lastnight and it was disappointing. The kids were not responding to the demands to disburse. They were in a large crowd moving together in the opposite direction they were being directed, running, jumping over stuff, cursing it was horrible and heartbreaking to witness. I’d just advise parents never say what our children will not do!!”
“And that’s exactly why we’ll never have a nice and safe downtown. No one wants to go down there and risk being caught up in that nonsense.”
“There is no reason a band of 600-700 juveniles should be out roaming the streets. This is a parenting fail that became a law enforcement problem to handle. I’m glad all involved are safe.”
“These kids need to use their energy to organize community clean up beautification events, volunteering for habitat for humanity or giving out bottles of water to the homeless on hot days.”
“Out of control juveniles, no parental guidance. Courts need to start holding juveniles and parents accountable for their actions and consequences given out. They won’t take it seriously if they don’t actually get some kind of consequence.”
“There’s nothing for these kids to do here. … Summer is almost over and they want to get out and have fun. When I was younger we had teen clubs, community centers etc.”
(This story has been updated with some minor adjustments.)
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville police disperse mass of teens at planned street takeover
