JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Citizens Property Insurance is one of Downtown Jacksonville’s largest employers.
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The company has been based at the EverBank Center on Bay Street since 2015 but wants to relocate more than 1,000 employees to the South Side.
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“I usually stay on the south side, which may sound weird, but it’s a safer place,” said Jacksonville resident Teresa Smith.
But Action News Jax reporter Annette Gutierrez has learned from multiple sources that Citizens is considering relocating due to safety concerns about homeless people, including workers, who have been threatened and harassed.
Citizens said only last week that it was “in negotiations with a vendor for office space in Jacksonville that would be easily accessible during local inclement weather.”
Original article: Insurance company Citizens considers leaving downtown Jacksonville
According to JSO’s calls for service to the EverBank Center address, there have been more than 230 calls to the area since 2021. It’s unclear how many of those calls were homeless-related, but about 25 of those calls were about suspicious or mentally disturbed people.
The city seems to acknowledge that safety and security are issues.
“This demonstrates the need to fully fund the comprehensive homelessness plan we laid out and proposed in our budget,” a city spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
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Smith said there have been safety issues here before.
“Some homeless people may be on drugs, have mental health issues or other things. I’ve encountered homeless people before and it was a bit scary.
The city also said it is in discussions about possible city assistance to keep the Citizen’s offices downtown. Action News Jax reached out to the Citizen but they were not immediately available for a statement.
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