JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In 2019, 82 people have been murdered, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office transparency page, compared to 63 at this time last year.
According to FDLE’s latest numbers, Duval County’s crime rate ranks second in the state.
— Watch a full report and exclusive interview with the State Attorney on Action News Jax FOX30 at 10.
82 murders compared to 63 this time last year. We sit down with State Attorney Melissa Nelson about how crime technologies are working to solve crime in our city. @ActionNewsJax at 6 pic.twitter.com/lXbMDqfowt
— Bridgette Matter (@bridgetteANjax) August 13, 2019
It’s a harsh reality for city leaders like State Attorney Melissa Nelson. “Because we didn’t get here overnight, we’re not going to fix it overnight,” Nelson said.
While there’s no quick fix, the city has spent millions on crime fighting technologies, including Jacksonville’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center, which opened in May.
The center is housed in the State Attorney’s office. It is equipped with a firearms lab using what’s called NIBIN technology.
TRENDING:
NIBIN stands for National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, which uses a ballistics imaging network.
The technology has disrupted shooting cycles even here in Jacksonville by linking shell casings to crime guns. “The challenge that we have right now is we are flooded with information, so it’s working.”
The links can mean solving crimes faster instead of crimes going cold.
Another piece of technology used by investigators is Shot Spotter, which just this week alerted police to a deadly triple shooting where a 17-year-old was killed.
While we don’t know if that shooting is gang related, Nelson said her office has intercepted at-risk youth through prevention efforts but social media pose an extra challenge.
“Now they communicate their threats and celebrate their criminal actions through social media. It’s publicly available. It’s new and different in figuring out how to address that issue,” Nelson said.
The State Attorney is optimistic for future change and said the technologies are proving their worth already.
STAY UPDATED: Download the Action News Jax app for live updates on breaking stories
© 2019 Cox Media Group.
