Sheriff Rutherford re-introduces the "Beat the Heat" Program in Jacksonville, Florida, Duval County.  The program was started in 1984 by former JSO retired Officer Don Robertson at the Sheriff's immediate right.  The program was the first in the country and soon afterward was across the country in other police departments.  The program goes out to the schools and to special events and talks to the kids about illegal racing on the street and the dangers it presents to them and other innocent people.  They tell these young drivers that there is a legal place to go to race, especially Drag Racing.  At the inception of the program Jacksonville had a raceway, called "Jax Raceway".  The police drag car was an old police cruiser, which had been taken out of service.  The city then and now did not spend any tax dollars to build the car.  The racing parts were donated by various vendors as while as labor and the Officers on their own time put the vehicle together.  The Officers would challenge the young drivers to come out to the drag strip and race them on a safe and legal drag strip.  If the young driver won he was given a t-shirt that said he or she "Beat the Heat".  If they loss they would receive a t-shirt that said "I was Beat by the Heat"!

JSO, Clay County and Baker County are joining together to bring the message to the kids again don't drag race, drift race or sports car race on the street!

Motorcycle Officer David Sciandra will be in charge of the revised program.  Officer Sciandra is the #1 police motorcycle driver in the USA and the world.  He now will try is skills with the JSO Special equipped Squad Car.  

Turbo Action Donating to the Program

Since 1984

Paul Forte & Sheriff Rutherford

Turbo Action provides the racing Transmission, torque converter and the Turbo Action CHEETAH SCS Shifter at no charge.  We feel this program is important, being 174 people died on the roads of Jacksonville in 2008 and nearly half were young drivers.