Exclusive look inside Fort Myers Police real-time crime center, election prep

Reporter: Rich Kolko
Published: Updated:

The Fort Myers police kept a watchful eye on polling places Tuesday. After months of planning, they’re said they were ready for anything.

On Election Day, we took an exclusive look inside the department’s real-time crime center where analysts keep an eye on everything across town.

While the threat is low, the police work continues. They’ve planned and now the moment is here – the force is ready.

Inside the center, police officers and crime analysts huddle around the computers, scanning monitors, and keeping the peace.

From the real-time crime center, officer Kristin Capuzzi says they can monitor surveillance, license plate readers, and traffic cameras to give offices a complete picture, “We’re actively monitoring any type of social media, any other changes that may come up as the day progresses.”

“At this point,” she added, “everything seems peaceful and calm and normal.”

But that does not mean Deputy Chief Jeffrey Meyers can relax, “We’ve been preparing for a long time, I would even say months … There is a special Election Day ops plan.”

And that covers anything from election day on.

Meyers said, “The threat is extremely low, but you always, unfortunately, want to prepare for the worst-case scenario.”

So, while Meyers wouldn’t talk about any specifics. “We have extra manpower standing by should we need it; we have teams that have been preparing. For not just the election, but for any kind of mass situation that would happen.”

Meyers and FMPD have no patience for any voter suppression or intimidation.

He said, “Our officers will be stopping by every now and then just to make sure everything is ok, and we told them if they feel voters are being intimidated in any way to give us a call right away because that is one thing that will not be tolerated.”

Meyers says the department’s also ready if we don’t have a winner tonight.

If tensions remain high, they have officers ready to respond at a moment’s notice.

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