‘Credit card' knife incident at City Council sparks scrutiny over security firm, city contract
A 'credit card' sized knife that made its way past security and into Jacksonville City Council Chambers is raising serious concerns and putting new pressure on the private company paid millions to protect City Hall and other Jacksonville buildings.
While the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) is responsible for security inside the Council Chambers, it's First Coast Security (FCS) that guards the rest of the building.
Now, following the knife incident on Tuesday, the Mayor's Office is demanding better training, starting with how FCS officers handle weapons like the one discovered after three people were arrested during a disturbance that halted the City Council meeting.
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan's sent Action News Jax the following statement about the incident:
'We all have freedom of speech. The time to exercise that right is during the public comment period of City Council meetings. The words we choose matter. Civil discourse should be just that. Civil. If we truly want to solve problems, we have to find a way to speak respectfully to each other.
'A small 'credit card' knife went undetected in a wallet during the standard security screening process for last night's City Council meeting. Moving forward, we have directed First Coast Security to train their officers on this style of concealed weapon, and to conduct extra inspections of all personal items going into the Council Chambers.
'We are also conducting a full security review for City Hall - including potential equipment upgrades, staffing changes, and vendor options - as we get closer to the current security vendor contract expiring in September 2025.'
Action News Jax's Ben Becker obtained the city's security contract and discovered that First Coast Security can receive up to $4.7 million per year for its services guarding multiple city buildings, including City Hall. That agreement was signed in 2022 under former Mayor Lenny Curry.
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The city has until Aug. 1 to decide whether to renew the contract for another year.
When Becker reached out for comment on the knife incident and potential changes to training, a spokesperson for First Coast Security declined to speak, citing the need for more information.
Meanwhile, there are new questions about past security practices, specifically, a potentially illegal gun registry maintained at City Hall.
Action News Jax first broke the story that FCS officers were logging the names of people legally carrying concealed weapons into the building. That kind of registry was banned in Florida on July 1, 2023 -- the same day Deegan took office.
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Deegan's office said the policy was created under the previous administration of Curry's, not hers.
In response, the city's Office of General Counsel has hired a law firm -- Bedell, Dittmar, DeVault, Pillans & Coxe -- to defend against any legal fallout, as nine current and former city workers have been subpoenaed by the State Attorney's Office. The contract allows the firm to earn up to $15,000, with three specific attorneys approved to work on the case.
One of those attorneys is Henry Coxe, a well-known criminal defense attorney and the father-in-law of Jacksonville's General Counsel, Michael Fackler, who made the decision to hire Coxe's firm.
As previously reported on May 5, that connection is drawing scrutiny, though city officials insist the hiring followed proper protocols.
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