Jacksonville Sheriff's Office

1958

Prior to consolidation, Dale Carson, a FBI agent, was appointed to Sheriff of the Duval County Road Patrol by Florida Governor Leroy Collins.

Carson went on to be reelected by Duval County voters seven times until he retired in 1986.

Mid 1960s

The momentum to merge Duval County and the City of Jacksonville began to accelerate in the early to mid-1960s. Efficient government was the primary goal of reform-minded citizens seeking consolidation. Consolidation was viewed as the means to direct all of the county's and city's resources to solve problems impacting both jurisdictions. Improvements in all local services were the objectives with law enforcement being a major beneficiary.

Aug 1967

A mandate was given by residents of Jacksonville and Duval County with 65 percent of the votes cast in favor of consolidation.

Oct 1, 1968

Consolidation Day, on October 1, 1968, was a historic day when the duplication of two governmental bodies was replaced with 'a single unified, efficient and cost-effective system for local governance and self-determination.'

The Duval County Road Patrol and the Jacksonville Police Department united under a new name, “the Office of the Sheriff – Jacksonville Police”.

Dale Carson remained Sheriff over the newly formed law enforcement agency commonly known as the “Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office”. The Chief of Police for the Jacksonville Police Department, D.K. Brown served as his Undersheriff.

1977

The Police Memorial Building located at 501 E. Bay Street opened in 1977. This building served as the new police administration building and still does to this day.

Dec 1, 1986

Following Sheriff Carson’s retirement, James McMillan was appointed Sheriff by Florida Governor Bob Graham. McMillan went on to be elected for two terms following the appointment.

1986 - 1995

Sheriff McMillian was responsible for instituting the Sheriff’s Office Core Values of: Always Improving, Community Focused; Respect for Each Other; and Worthy of Trust.

The plans and completion of the Pre-Trial Detention Facility (jail) occurred during McMillian’s administration.

1995 – 2003

Nathaniel “Nat” Glover was elected Sheriff in 1995 and was reelected for a second term in 1999.

Glover embraced “community policing” and the agency was awarded federal grants to help implement his concept. Glover, also, conducted Sheriff’s Walks to talk to citizens in neighborhoods throughout the city.

Glover also created the Sheriff’s Advisory Council, also known as ShAdCo, to partner with citizens in all areas of the city.

After serving two terms as Sheriff, Glover went on to serve as the President of Edward Waters College of seven years.

Jul 1, 2003

After being elected, Sheriff John Rutherford took office on July 1, 2003.

2003 – 2015

During Rutherford’s administration he stressed training, Intelligence Led Policing, Community Problem Solving and Continuous Improvement through Lean concepts.

After serving three terms as Sheriff, Rutherford was elected into office in 2017 as the U.S. Representative for Florida’s 4^th Congressional District.

May 19, 2015

Sheriff Mike Williams was elected the fifth Sheriff since the consolidation of the City of Jacksonville and County of Duval.

Jul 1, 2015

Williams took the oath of office and pledged to focus on three things: Reducing Violent Crime; Engaging the Community; and Using Resources Efficiently.

2015

Under Williams’ administration a new mission and vision statement was rolled out.

The Mission Statement of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is, “To serve and protect in partnership with our community”.

The Vision Statement is, “A crime-free environment, driven by partnerships with empowered citizens, fostering a vibrant community and the success of all individuals.”

2015 - 2022

During Williams' administration, he demonstrated his commitment to driving down violent crime by leveraging newer technology, including body worn cameras and gunfire detection systems to solve crimes. Additionally, to help further the public's trust in the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the Open Data & Transparency portal was established under Williams' direction during his first term in office.

Sep 2016

The Sheriff’s Advisory Council (ShAdCo) which started during Glover’s administration was rebranded and is now known as Sheriff’s Watch.

Nov 2017

A reorganization of the agency occurred.

Oct 1, 2018

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office celebrated 50 years of consolidation. To commemorate this historic year, JSO employees were given the opportunity to purchase an anniversary badge in the shape of star highlighting the city’s history.

2022-06

In June 2022, Pat Ivey was appointed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to serve as the Sheriff of Duval County. Sheriff Ivey took office on Saturday, June 11, 2022.

2022-11

In November 2022, the citizens of Duval County, Florida elected T.K. Waters to serve as the seventh Sheriff of Duval County since consolidation in 1968. Sheriff Waters was officially sworn in on Sunday, November 20, 2022, by outgoing Sheriff Pat Ivey.

Jul 29, 2023

In July 2023, Sheriff T.K. Waters held a town hall meeting to introduce the citizens of Jacksonville to new public safety initiatives and unveil new boundaries for patrol response. Through data driven research the boundaries for patrol response were reconstructed to effectively and efficiently serve today's Jacksonville. The new boundaries, now referred to as districts, went live on Saturday, July 29, 2023. To learn more please click here.