Then & Now

You hear it all the time.

“You live in Springfield?! How is it?  Do you feel safe there?” as the surprised look turns into genuine curiosity…or maybe concern for your personal safety.

Most of us have had that conversation with a coworker or friend, probably more than once.  Some of us look forward to it, as chance to squash stereotypes and rumor, while others dread it; justifying where you live can become tiresome.

It’s a common experience amongst Springfielders, and one that’s understandable. Years ago, but not that long ago really, Springfield was a neighborhood all too familiar with extreme poverty and serious crime. Shootings, robbery, drug dealing, prostitution. Not in the dark cover of night, but blatantly, confidently, in the bright sunshine of day. 

“It was not a place you’d want to be,” describes Michael Adams, a life-long Jacksonville resident. “Just walking down the street was dangerous back in the day, sometimes deadly if you made the wrong turn”.

Michael’s point of view was certainly not unique, or unjustified. Undoubtedly, Springfield was a hotbed of crime, violent crime, and poverty in Duval County for decades, peaking in the mid to late 80’s.  The stigma was well earned.

“That’s why long timers don’t trust it. Because we remember how it was.  New people, they don’t know anything about the history.  Fresh eyes and ears.  So they don’t have that baggage, I guess.”

Fast forward 20 years.  The neighborhood has changed drastically, almost unrecognizable to some.  Crime is still present, but not unusually high.  What were once open-air drug markets, attracting criminals and vagrants of all sorts, are now charming middle-class family homes.

Lex Dominguez, Zone 1 Narcotics Officer, reflects:

“I’ve been familiar with Zone 1 (which includes the Springfield Historic District) for about 10 years.  This is where I started”, Dominguez recalls. “The intersection of 3rd and Market Street and 6th and Market were dope holes ten years ago. Now, I don’t even bother them with anymore.  They’ve moved out.  It’s a lot different than 10 years ago”.

Doug Vanderlaan, an 8 year Springfield resident and current chairman of both the Urban Core CPAC (Citizens Planning Advisory Committee) and the Springfield chapter of Shadco, (Sheriffs Advisory Council) agrees.  And he would know; he lives at 5th & Market, in what was once a drug corridor between the two former “dope holes.”

“I tell people now and they don’t believe me”, Doug says with a smile on his face.

“It was a daily battle, and I enjoyed being on the frontlines, as strange as that sounds. It went beyond just calling the police for me.  I was known to shine my headlights on drug dealers, follow John’s around in my car until they left the neighborhood, and even set up my own confidential informant ring”, Doug explains.

“I used to talk to the drug dealers, the prostitutes, the users.  I got to know them and they got to know me a little bit.  It was useful.  In fact, I started to pay some of the users to supply me with inside information.  I would give them $5 and they would tell me where the new drug hotspot was, or where so-and-so hid his stash.  Then, I’d call the police and let them know.  One time, I called and reported that so-and-so a few blocks away had a silver tray full of cocaine on top of his old refrigerator.  It was that detailed.”

Eventually, pioneering such as that paid off.  It paid off big.  But just how big?


By the Numbers**

Neighborhood residents know that crime has dropped substantially, some better than others. In fact, many of residents wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t. But tangible, real data to support this hasn’t always been easy to find or up to date. But here’s some that is:

• In the last 6 years alone, from 2004 to 2009, there has been a 76.2% drop in total drug and prostitution offences, 77.8% drop in total arrests, and a 76% drop in total individual perpetrators in the Springfield Historic District. 
  

• In 2004, there were 495 total drug and prostitution offences committed by 328 individuals, resulting in 379 arrests.  In 2009, that drops to 118 total drug and prostitution offences committed by 80 individuals, resulting in 84 arrests.
  

• Every year from 2004 to 2009, the total number of drug and prostitution related offences has decreased by roughly 25%.  As of June 1st, 2010 (when this data was requested) the current year is projected to meet that 25% drop once again.
  

• During this same time period, 2004 to 2009, Part 1 crimes (those including homicide, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, auto theft, and arson) dropped a total of 25% in Springfield, compared to the roughly 4% city-wide mark.
  

• Looking at all incidents (46 different classifications in all, including fraud, natural deaths, phone harassment, etc, etc) over a ten year period, 2000 to 2009, total incidents in the neighborhood dropped 57.8%.
  

* Projected for 2010.
**Calculated from data provided by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Crime Analysis Unit.

What does this all mean? Well, the trend is clear, but if you’re a resident, you didn’t need stats to know that.

But what if you aren’t a resident?

What if you’re investigating the neighborhood for a possible move, asking friends for their advice, or using the internet to get information? What if you’ve heard about some of the popular new restaurants and bars in the areas, but aren’t sure if it’s “safe” (believe it or not, this still happens)? Then you’ll find all sorts of misleading information, out-of-date opinions, and negative stereotypes, unfortunately, with just a sprinkle of relevant, timely information.

No, www.neighborhoodscout.com is not an accurate website.

No, that 2001 www.jacksonville.com article covering the seven shootings in Springfield that year is not an accurate reflection of the neighborhood anymore.

But people love stats, and they love numbers. And the one’s listed above are pretty darn impressive.


The Expert

“The neighborhood is extremely diverse. Literally, from millionaires to homeless”, Srgt Jackson describes, “and this can make law enforcement a challenge because you can’t assume someone doesn’t belong here. This is why we need residents to be involved and report suspicious persons if they happen to see one.”

Sergeant Jackson Short, the Zone 1 COPS Unit and Springfield Task Force Sergeant, supervises a group of officers in and around the Springfield Historic District, which is inside Zone 1.

“When I first started in law enforcement, this was one of the hot spots. Wide open drug dealing and frequent shootings were our biggest concerns”, Srgt Jackson explained.

A 12 year veteran and 3rd generation JSO police sergeant, both his father and grandfather spent time working in Springfield.

“Now, I see families, joggers, walkers, and so on. Strong community concern and willingness to get involved made it possible. Springfield is noticeably safer today than it was 10 years ago, and it’s continuing to improve with the help of residents and community groups.

SPAR Council and other community groups are what I call ‘force multipliers’. We’ve secured many arrests, search warrants, and DARTS that were directly attributed to tips from the community, and these organizations. Calling the police directly is the best option, but contacting SPAR or attending monthly Shadco meetings are other good ways of passing along information to JSO as well.”

Though it’s been a steady drop, no one is under the illusion that crime is not an issue anymore. It is, as it is almost everywhere in the city. Certain small pockets are still more prone to crime than others, petty crimes are still a nuisance, and criminals will always look for opportunities, should they arise. In late 2009 several homes were burglarized within a couple of weeks, for example, resulting in at least 1 arrest and increased awareness. But these flares are just that, an exception to the rule. And they appear in almost all neighborhoods, all around the city.

And even though violent crime in Jacksonville, and nationally, has been decreasing over the last 20 years, down almost 16% last year alone, Srgt Jackson has important safety advice to avoid becoming a victim, “Follow the basic safety tips that are available on JSO’s website, such as being aware of your surroundings, locking doors and windows, keeping porch lights on, etc. If you see something suspicious, report it. If your ‘Spider-Sense’ goes off, don’t ignore it.”

Good advice. Not just Springfield residents, but for any neighborhood.


Perception vs. Reality

“We’re in Jacksonville, the murder capital of the state, right? If you ask your average Joe on the street about Springfield, they’ll probably guess 20 of those murders happen here in the neighborhood. But that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Jeremy Hubsch, a 10 month Springfield resident, says.

“My wife and I have lived in Neptune Beach, and most recently on Hodges, between JTB and Beach Blvd. We lived in a nice, gated apartment complex with palm trees, a nice pool, gym, etc.  A suburban Mecca, basically, in an area of shiny, new suburban Mecca’s.  Not too long ago Springfield wasn’t even on my radar of places to consider moving. But I worked in the area, saw the changes, and thought I’d do a little research. I’m familiar GIS (geographic information systems), so I pulled up the stats and compared the two areas.  My wife and I were both surprised: there was far less meaningful crime in Springfield than I would have thought, and far more than I thought where we were living.  And there’s much more density and personal interaction here, which makes it all the more impressive.

Actually, we feel safer here than we did in Neptune Beach, believe it or not.”

The perception of crime and safety in Historic Springfield is slowly catching up to reality, even though it may be slower than some residents like.  The January 2010 edition of Southern Living Magazine opened up a lot of eyes, as have the neighborhood’s eclectic cafes, First Friday parties, and neighborly disposition.  Springfield is a historic, urban, downtown neighborhood.  Thus it will always be like most other similar neighborhoods: loaded with individuality, convenience, and multifarious charm, with a vast variety of characters that come with it.

Doug Vanderlaan explains, “We make small compromises that become second nature, like making sure the tool shed or bicycles are locked up, for example.  People living in other cities do the same thing, I suspect.  But we don’t feel crime substantially affects how we live.  We come and go as we please, walk wherever we like, and so on”.

So to answer the original questions, Yes, I live in Springfield.

It’s pretty good, thanks.

And Yes, I feel as safe here as do in Riverside, Beach Blvd, Orange Park….or Neptune Beach, for that matter.

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