Crime, heart attacks, and trash discussed at KH meeting
BY JENN SAMSEL
Special to the Monitor
Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook spoke at a Sheriff’s Net meeting in Keystone Heights in which she reviewed the county’s crime statistics.
The event, hosted by chair Debbie Beals, also featured a health expert who trained audience members on how to respond to heart attacks.
The final speaker was County Commissioner Betsy Condon who summarized the latest commission meeting.
During the July 26 gathering at the First Baptist Church of Keystone Heights, Cook provided an update on felony drug arrests, response times, violent crime, and historical property crime rates in Clay County.
Cook said that despite the county’s exponential growth, crime rates have steadily declined over the past three years. The low crime rate is due in part to the prosecution rate for felony drug arrests, which has been consistently over 85% for the past three years, contributing to a safer environment for all.
The sheriff explained that the vast majority of violent crimes are simple assault charges, adding, “You are as safe today for violent crimes as you were a decade ago.”
Response times have returned to what they were 10 years ago, especially given the substantial population increases the county has experienced. A decade ago, the average response time was nine minutes, thirty-four seconds. Today it is 9:59.
She added that Clay County Commissioners are working to increase the adequate staffing her agency needs, which will further accelerate response times.
Cook said the property crime rate is one-half what it was 10 years ago. She stated that most property crimes today are shoplifting, motor vehicle theft, and fraud.
The sheriff explained that many of these cases are solved quickly with the help of technology, such as apprehending criminals using the cameras of nearby businesses.
She also said that keeping drugs out of Clay communities is a determining factor in reducing theft and violence in the neighborhoods. Cook explained that if you can catch the small crimes, the large criminals will stay away.
The sheriff thanked the men and women in local law enforcement and her staff’s hard work and dedication.
Cook briefly mentioned the new trial phase of the agency’s body camera implementation, which involves testing the devices in the field. She said her goal is to ensure each deputy wears a body camera in the next few years.
Lastly, the county’s chief law enforcement officer emphasized the importance of community vigilance in maintaining safety. She implored audience members to report suspicious activity immediately.
Cook added that although her agency does not respond to social media posts, community involvement is critical to keeping the crime rate low and vital to the community’s safety.
CPR and AEDs
With heart attacks on the rise, having the fundamental technique of CPR could save someone before EMS arrives at the scene.
Guest speaker Jennifer Silvey, Emergency Preparedness Manager at UF Health Jacksonville, spoke about how critical CPR is with the motto of “Staying Alive” – continual compressions- and why people of all ages should learn CPR. She then demonstrated CPR basics and how the AED defibrillator worked. She briefly spoke about child and infant CPR, too. Silvey stressed that bystanders should always call 911 for all medical emergencies.
Trash pickup, new fire stations
Clay County Commissioner Betsy Condon concluded the Sheriff’s Net presentations by summarizing the county commission meeting from the previous evening.
Condon said new trash services will roll out on October 1. Everyone will receive a new 96-gallon trash bin with a radio frequency identification tag. The new trash contractor operates technologically advanced garbage trucks equipped with RFID readers.
Regular garbage trucks will follow normal routes, and special 250 Chassey trucks will pick up trash on private and dirt roads.
The new vehicles will be equipped with cameras. Condon said that with a video record of the route, the county could determine if a missed pickup was the contractor’s fault or whether the resident missed the deadline for pickup.
Condon added that anyone needing assistance with the new bins should contact the county.
Curbside recycling will no longer occur, but residents may take recyclables to the environmental convenience center in Keystone Heights.
The commissioner also stated that yard and large items will continue to be collected. Large families who place garbage bags outside the bins must purchase stickers, which must be placed on additional bags for pick-up service. Each sticker costs $4.
The commissioner said Clay County will build five new fire stations in the next five years and six or seven new ones in the next ten years. The sheriff’s office is occupying its 29th building while commissioners work on establishing a new long-term operational facility. These changes are needed to continue meeting the market’s exponential demands.
Sheriff’s Net meetings are held each quarter at the end of the month. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 24, at 6:00 p.m., at First Baptist Church. Contact Debbie Beals at [email protected] for more information.
