THE BURTON PLAN

THE BURTON 4 PILLAR PLAN

for Making Jacksonville America’s Safest City

Lakesha Burton is running for Sheriff to change the way we protect Jacksonville because the way it’s been done for decades is clearly not working. Burton’s plan for change has four main pillars focused on culture, community, crime, and conservative spending.

Pillar 1 CULTURE

Implement transformational change to the organization’s culture.

  • Burton will get the politics out of law enforcement and put our neighborhoods and communities back into public safety.
  • Burton will model the values and behaviors she expects from JSO’s 3,000 employees and build a coalition committed to making change.
  • Burton will promote leaders with integrity who share her vision, and recruit officers based on character.
  • Burton will create a new environment at Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office; one based on professionalism, appreciation, community trust, and respect.

Pillar 3 CRIME

Execute public safety strategies from a comprehensive approach centered on community policing.

  • Burton will enforce the law and JSO officers will arrest those who break the law.
  • Burton will target gang and drug violence by increasing street-level detectives.
  • Burton will partner with non-profits and members of the faith community to focus more on prevention, intervention, and education.
  • Burton will increase emphasis in law enforcement training on community policing, problem-solving, communication skills, treating people with respect, mental health issues, crisis intervention, and bias awareness in addition to effective law enforcement tactics and strategies.

Pillar 2 COMMUNITY

Establish community policing by building relationships and trust in all of Jacksonville’s diverse neighborhoods.

  • Burton will put officers where the people live and work by getting them out of their cars and from behind their desks.
  • Burton will increase the visibility and accessibility of senior command leaders.
  • Burton’s JSO will become part of the community, not separate from it.
  • Burton will elevate the voices of community members through open public meetings.
  • Burton’s JSO will treat all citizens, no matter where they live, with professionalism and respect.

Pillar 4 CONSERVATIVE SPENDING

Be accountable to taxpayers while ensuring the agency has the necessary resources to keep our city and our officers safe.

  • Burton will conduct a line-by-line review of the JSO budget to ensure conservative spending that provides the greatest value and the highest protection of Jacksonville’s neighborhoods.
  • Burton will not request an increase in funding without exhausting every available resource, including public/private partnerships.
  • Burton will make sure JSO funding supports adequate manpower, training, and equipment necessary to keep our communities safe.
  • Burton will reallocate funds necessary for community policing and more focus on prevention and intervention