City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safetyCollier County mental health center receives $4 million donation
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
LABELLE City of LaBelle under precautionary boil water notice A water main break has the City of Labelle under a precautionary boil water notice.
ESTERO FGCU student wins ice dancing national championship FGCU sophomore Lucas Appel wins his second US Senior Solo Dance National Championship in three years.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office: Parent brings weapon to Lehigh Acres school According to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report, there is probable cause to believe a woman unintentionally brought a firearm to school.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for December 11, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for Wednesday, December 11, 2024.
Second leading cause of chest pain The leading cause of cardiac chest pain is coronary artery disease, which affects over 18 million adults in the United States.
Vicky Bakery opens 26th location, first in Fort Myers A Fort Myers location just opened at 4429 Cleveland Ave., at El Dorado Plaza, just east of the Ginza sushi restaurant.
WINK News’ Matt Devitt, officials address resident flooding concerns In a slide presentation, WINK News Chief Meteorologist Matt Devitt showed surrounding coastal counties have the sensors that are installed and monitored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
FORT MYERS RSW offering remote parking for the holidays Southwest Florida International Airport, RSW, is offering passengers RSWRemote, a reserved holiday parking option.
Lee County man found guilty of manslaughter A 47-year-old man from Lee County has been found guilty of manslaughter after stabbing his neighbor multiple times in 2022.
SNIP Collier volunteer traps her 1000th feral cat A Spay and Neuter Initiative Program has reached a milestone as a Collier County volunteer has captured 1,000 feral cats.
SAINT JAMES CITY Saint James City man sentenced to 5 years for possessing child sexual abuse material A St. James City man has been sentenced to five years for possessing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
CAPE CORAL Sword-wielding Cape Coral man accused of threatening person with Molotov Cocktail The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a man who allegedly threatened another person with a sword and Molotov Cocktail.
PORT CHARLOTTE Tampa Bay Rays announces spring training season in Port Charlotte The Tampa Bay Rays have announced spring training ticket information for the 2025 spring season in Port Charlotte.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
LABELLE City of LaBelle under precautionary boil water notice A water main break has the City of Labelle under a precautionary boil water notice.
ESTERO FGCU student wins ice dancing national championship FGCU sophomore Lucas Appel wins his second US Senior Solo Dance National Championship in three years.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office: Parent brings weapon to Lehigh Acres school According to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report, there is probable cause to believe a woman unintentionally brought a firearm to school.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for December 11, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for Wednesday, December 11, 2024.
Second leading cause of chest pain The leading cause of cardiac chest pain is coronary artery disease, which affects over 18 million adults in the United States.
Vicky Bakery opens 26th location, first in Fort Myers A Fort Myers location just opened at 4429 Cleveland Ave., at El Dorado Plaza, just east of the Ginza sushi restaurant.
WINK News’ Matt Devitt, officials address resident flooding concerns In a slide presentation, WINK News Chief Meteorologist Matt Devitt showed surrounding coastal counties have the sensors that are installed and monitored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
FORT MYERS RSW offering remote parking for the holidays Southwest Florida International Airport, RSW, is offering passengers RSWRemote, a reserved holiday parking option.
Lee County man found guilty of manslaughter A 47-year-old man from Lee County has been found guilty of manslaughter after stabbing his neighbor multiple times in 2022.
SNIP Collier volunteer traps her 1000th feral cat A Spay and Neuter Initiative Program has reached a milestone as a Collier County volunteer has captured 1,000 feral cats.
SAINT JAMES CITY Saint James City man sentenced to 5 years for possessing child sexual abuse material A St. James City man has been sentenced to five years for possessing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
CAPE CORAL Sword-wielding Cape Coral man accused of threatening person with Molotov Cocktail The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a man who allegedly threatened another person with a sword and Molotov Cocktail.
PORT CHARLOTTE Tampa Bay Rays announces spring training season in Port Charlotte The Tampa Bay Rays have announced spring training ticket information for the 2025 spring season in Port Charlotte.
Credit: WINK News We hear from the local sheriffs and police chiefs every day, but we don’t hear a lot from the police department at Florida Gulf Coast University – and that’s OK with its chief. WINK News Safety and Security Specialist Rich Kolko spent some time on campus with Chief Steven Moore to find out what the police department does on campus each day. From running traffic to doing investigations, even acting as a mentor or advisor to a very diverse group of students, Moore does it all with a department of just 21 officers. The agency has 750 acres and more than 15,000 students to police. From concerned parents to operating during a pandemic, there’s nothing “small town” about Moore’s police force. “When a father and mother call about their son having a mental breakdown and he’s dangerous, they’re not calling for you to come kill him,” Moore said. He said COVID-19 has been “challenging,” which is something Moore knows all about. He has been a police officer for 37 years, moving to FGCU in 2006 after serving as chief for the Naples Police Department. At a recent shooting on Alico Road, FGCU police officers backed up Lee County sheriff’s deputies, but mostly, they serve on campus. “We’ll help the students change tires, jump their car, do whatever to help them out, so again it’s just more service-oriented at a university,” Moore said. That includes encouraging his officers to have positive contacts. “If there is a soccer game going on or if there is an event on the library lawn, just go be seen.” That’s to build up trust, and one of his goals is to see every officer trained in de-escalation techniques, something they’ve practiced at a few recent small interactions on campus. “We’ve had a couple of times where officers have been yelled at this semester for absolutely no reason, driving by a group of people and say have a good evening and the tirade starts, so, the officers know, keep on moving.” While Moore believes there may be a better way to respond to mental health crises, he feels defunding the police isn’t the answer. “Who should be responding to that mental health crisis? I don’t think a lot of police would complain if they weren’t the ones that responded to it.” His team is out there 24/7. “A campus is a great setting; it’s just a fun place to be,” he said. The department’s jurisdiction is 1,000 feet beyond campus, but they can assist outside that area, if needed. Moore said the biggest difference is that they have their own internal discipline system. Underage alcohol possession, marijuana possession and other similar incidents are handled on campus, keeping students out of the courts in most cases. RELATED LINKS International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IECLEA) International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) University/College Police Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) FGCU Police Dept.