Recently, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office changed its call priorities. On some categories of calls that police used to be able to respond with lights and siren to, lights and siren are no longer allowed. I invite you to give your opinion on the changes with a mind toward the risk to the public of police running lights & siren vs. the potential benefits of quicker response.

1) Violent crimes (armed robbery, armed sexual battey, etc.) that just occurred.
- How do you feel about the lights & siren risk vs. the possibility of catching the suspect in the area?

2) Serious injury just occurred (traffic accidents with injuries, deaths from misc occurances (fire, child/adult abuse w/ injuries, etc.).
- Would police do any good at these situations by getting there faster?

3) Property crime in progress (armed burglary to a home/business/car, auto theft, theft, forged check).

4) Serious Fire/Rescue calls (suicides/attempts/threats, dog bites w/injuries, boat accidents w/injuries, hazmat fires).

 

I think they should be able to use lights and siren no matter what's going on - if nothing else, their presence often has a calming effect on people AND it allows them to take charge of the situation, as per their training. Use them all the time - just be careful driving and don't take excessive risks (like blowing through stop signs or red lights) without good cause.

My $0.02.