Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters says the city is seeing a dramatic decline in overdose deaths—and he credits the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Narcotics and Vice Unit for the turnaround.
Waters said overdose death investigations have dropped by more than half in just three years. According to JSO data he shared, the numbers show a steady decline:
- 2022: 472
- 2023: 433
- 2024: 317
- 2025: 221
With 221 overdose death investigations so far this year, Waters said detectives have arrested 17 drug dealers on manslaughter charges, adding that one suspect is also facing a murder charge tied to an overdose case.
He also highlighted the unit’s drug seizures, offering street-value estimates for narcotics recovered in 2025:
- 20 kilograms of fentanyl: $638,000
- 60 kilograms of powder cocaine: $1.1 million
- 3.4 kilograms of crack cocaine: $56,000
- 25 pounds of methamphetamine: $33,000
- 3,300 pounds of cannabis: $5 million
All in all, that is a total street value of $6,827,00. Calling fentanyl “one of the worst drugs we face in our community,” Waters issued a direct warning to traffickers: “Stay away from here. Don’t come here. We don’t want you here. Keep your poison out of our city.”
Waters also emphasized the important role Jacksonville residents play when it comes to getting drugs off the street, crediting citizen tips as a driving force behind many investigations.
“So many of our narcotics investigations are spearheaded by concerned citizens making complaints or sharing information about suspicious activity,” he said. “ We simply cannot do the important work we do in law enforcement without the involvement of the public that we serve.”
Anyone with information about possible drug activity can contact the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office at 904-630-0500, Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS, or reach the Narcotics Unit directly at 904-630-2163.
▶ Listen to Jacksonville’s Morning News Interviews
Click here to download our free news, weather and traffic app. And click here to subscribe to our daily 3 Big Things newsletter.
©2025 Cox Media Group
