16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier CountyNew bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection with Cape Coral home invasion The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the arrest of one of three men suspected in a home invasion that took place earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react to $100M North Cape land deal The city of Cape Coral is seeing two projects that will change the city. One is called one of the most lucrative deals in county history.
Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association breaks ground on new Fort Myers headquarters As Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association’s president pointed out, about 1,000 people are still moving to Florida every day, and many of them are finding their way to Southwest Florida.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years A Charlotte County man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection with Cape Coral home invasion The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the arrest of one of three men suspected in a home invasion that took place earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react to $100M North Cape land deal The city of Cape Coral is seeing two projects that will change the city. One is called one of the most lucrative deals in county history.
Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association breaks ground on new Fort Myers headquarters As Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association’s president pointed out, about 1,000 people are still moving to Florida every day, and many of them are finding their way to Southwest Florida.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years A Charlotte County man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
Fort Myers Police Department FORT MYERS, Fla. One month after the release of a scathing audit alleging corruption, inefficiency and other challenges within the Fort Myers Police Department, the agency has fully executed only one of the report’s 12 immediate recommendations. “The vast majority of our officers perform their duties with integrity, bravery, and dedication to the safety of our citizens,” Chief Derrick Diggs said in a statement released Wednesday. “My focus right now is on moving forward and leading the way. The needs assessment is our road map for improvements to make our city better.” The audit called on the department to request outside assistance to investigate the allegations of officer misconduct it identified. Chief Diggs has asked the U.S. Attorney’s Office to conduct a formal investigation into alleged instances where officers leaked search warrant information to drug dealers. Below are the 11 other top recommendations from the report and their current status: At present, the department is a “flat” organization. There are three captains who occupy the highest rung of leadership below the chief position. We would recommend the city hire two deputy chiefs on an interim basis. City council members unanimously approved funding for a deputy chief, a two-year contract position, along with two lieutenants. While the deputy chief has not been named, Diggs said he currently has two temporary deputy chiefs. The department should hire a public information officer. The position has been posted and the interview process has started, the department said. It is recommended that an employment law attorney be retained to review all policy changes and to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of current disciplinary policies. The department has not said if this was started, in progress or completed. It is recommended that preliminary assessments be defined and used as a tool to access and properly categorize allegations of officer misconduct. The department has not said if this was started, in progress or completed. The department should consider excluding the name of a complainant on the citizen response system memorandum to the city manager because the document could become a public document thereby creating potential security concerns for the complainant. The department has not said if this was started, in progress or completed. The department must find a safe location and mechanism for witnesses to communicate with detectives. The department has not said if this was started, in progress or completed. The department should ensure that the captain that serves as the commander of the investigations bureau is trusted and respected by officers and outside agency partners. The department has not said if this was started, in progress or completed. The department should consider reassigning all task forces and specialty units to the investigations bureau to ensure that intelligence is collected and provided to support investigations. The department has not said if this was started, in progress or completed. The department should consider consolidating task forces (SIG, VCTF and gang task force) in order to reprogram officers to support the road patrol mission, as well as the detective units. The department has not said if this was started, in progress or completed. The department needs to establish controls in order to ensure task force and specialty assignments are managed impartially and transparently. The department has not said if this was started, in progress or completed. Although the scope of this engagement did not include an assessment of the department’s use of force policies and procedures, officers within the department did request additional training regarding de-escalation techniques. The department, in a statement, said it has “embarked on a strategic training and education program to educate officers and give them the tools they need to better perform their jobs,” but didn’t specify whether the training included de-escalation techniques. The report listed 32 recommendations in total, separated within time frames of six months, one year and five years. The department, in Wednesday’s statement, also detailed their efforts on some of the lower recommendations: The report suggested re-establishing a substation in the Dunbar community. While the department said they were working on substations prior to the report, they did not say if Dunbar will be included. This was a six-month recommendation. City council members approved funding for 24 laptops, docking stations and printers for detectives to use in their vehicles. This was a one-year recommendation. The department has hired additional 911 operators and several new officers. While a five-year recommendation, the department did not detail the number of new personnel needed to be fully staffed and the study did not suggest ideal staffing levels. This story is the latest in WINK News’ continuing series about the FMPD audit.