Jacksonville Review – September 2023
When talking with others about living here, I usually sum up Jacksonville as “a quaint little bubble.” This reflects endearment for our city’s historic charm and moreover that I feel safe living here. Jacksonville appears largely protected from many of the issues challenging areas nearby. Crimes in our town tend to be petty; incidents are few. While this apparent haven is due in part to our small size, I more directly attribute it to the contribution of our Jacksonville Police Department.
Here in Jacksonville, our officers have a known police presence in town. They patrol our streets, pull over speeding vehicles, and walk the Sunday Farmers’ Market. Their presence creates a feeling of being watched over and taken care of. While they face staffing challenges, the existence of our police department is intact and our officers demonstrate this well. This presence is vital for a city like ours because it provides much more than mere police coverage borrowed from neighboring jurisdictions.
Police officers that we all come to know bring the significant aspect of familiarity. Little could have made my husband and me feel more welcome upon moving here last year than a local officer who regularly recognized us and called out “Hey, Colorado” (our prior home) in greeting. We feel connected when our police Chief makes a courteous call-out at the coffee shop warning about a vehicle needing to be moved to avoid towing, thereby invoking a resounding “Thanks, Chief!” from the patrons.
But our Jacksonville police are more than just present and familiar—they are friendly. On a weekend afternoon, an officer can be seen chatting with vintage car enthusiasts collected out front of Rasmussen’s garage. Missing children in town are likely just down the street where a Jacksonville officer has pulled over to demonstrate the use of his speed radar gun. These interactions allow us to feel united with our police, an alliance perhaps more important yet rarer to find across America.
Our Jacksonville police office is in town, allowing quick response to incidents. In the one instance where I called 9-1-1 to help a person in my neighborhood needing medical attention, an officer arrived within three minutes before I had even hung up the call. A city police force can be proactive and also quickly respond when needed.
It is important to recognize that some nearby towns have lost or closed their police departments and now regret it. Our city is considering outsourcing some of its police coverage to the county Sheriff’s office. Such a contract should only be entered into as part of a long-term plan to preserve our Jacksonville PD, not as a substitution for it. Our Jacksonville PD is a crucial piece of why living here is so special—we can’t afford to lose this.
If you are grateful for our city’s police officers, tell them: give them a wave, maybe bake them cookies, and definitely drive under the speed limit. Please also let our city officials know how much you value the Jacksonville PD, because our little town would not be the same without them.
Diana Crabtree Green is a CPA who specializes in individual tax and personal finance. She is involved with the Jacksonville Boosters Club and is also a member of the City’s Budget Committee.