TAMPA, Fla. — Dozens of crime survivors and families of murder victims boarded a bus Tuesday morning headed to Tallahassee for Survivors Speak Florida.
The event, which is at 11 a.m., hopes to convince lawmakers that policy changes are needed when it comes to crime as well as the State's response and support afterward.
The bus left at 4:30 a.m., and around 75 people from Tampa, Dade City and St. Petersburg plan to meet up with about 400 additional people from across the state. This group is made up of crime survivors, which include victims of sexual assault, domestic and gun violence and families of murder victims.
Survivors Speak Florida is organized by Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice — a national network of crime survivors with more than 13,000 people across the state. Their main priority is to "promote public safety policies that help people and communities most harmed by crime and gun violence."
They'd like to see more policies that handle trauma and support following crimes, and they want lawmakers to tackle the root cause of crime.
According to a study from 2018 by the Alliance for Safety and Justice, 67% of victims describe their experience as traumatic, with only 16% feeling supported by the justice system.
Jason's law is one the group hopes will pass this year.
“It allows families of teen murder victims to have three days off to make arrangements for their loved ones, to make their house safer if they've been victimized at the house. And just to have some sympathy and empathy for those families that are going through it," said Elliot Saunders with Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice.
Jacquline Saddler Daniels lost her son Dwayne Saddler in 2020 when he went to a block party and was shot and killed. They are still looking for the person who killed him.
Saddler was just 27 years old and a father of three.
"He was a loving person, always had a great mile, he was always positive, he was a lot of fun, " she said. "He knew a lot of people in Tampa, so I'm hoping everybody will rally together and, sooner rather than later, help us get justice for Dwayne."
ABC Action News reached out to all of the state lawmakers that represent Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties yesterday about the group's trip to the Capitol and their goals. We have yet to hear back.
