Under this initiative – which was initially recommended by the Mayor’s Transition Committee – cameras that are connected to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office’s Real Time Crime Center and the City of Jacksonville’s Parks Department via Wi-Fi are being installed in parks around the city. And where possible, these parks will also have free Wi-Fi service available for park-goers to use.
“With the new Safe Parks Wi-Fi Initiative, we’re putting a promise from my transition committee into action by placing cameras and Wi-Fi in 12 parks across the city,” said Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan. “These new cameras are connected to both JSO’s Real-Time Crime Center and our Parks Department. It means faster response times, more coordination with first responders, and a clear signal that our parks are protected spaces for families, kids and seniors. And while our top priority is safety, accessible Wi-Fi is also an important investment in making our community more connected.”
 
Parks with cameras already installed:

• Adolph Wurn Park
• Baker Skinner Park
• Clanzel T. Brown Park
• Drew Park
• Eartha H. Napoleon Park
• Fort Family Regional Park
• Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park
• Lonnie C. Miller Sr. Regional Park
• Memorial Park
• Patton Park

 
Parks with camera installation in progress:

• Blue Cypress, Community Center & Golf Course
• Walter Jones Historic Park
• Oceanway Community Center, Park & Pool
• Taye Brown Regional Park

 
The total cost for this project was roughly $800,000. The Wi-Fi itself was installed at no cost, as all the equipment for it was donated.