Fort Myers Police Department continues discussing need for new headquarters amid cost increase

The discussions about creating a new police headquarters of the Fort Myers Police Department date back years. These talks also encompass several different ideas on how to fix the problem.

Many thought that buying and renovating the old News-Press building would save taxpayers and the City of Fort Myers some money. The building is located near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard or Fowler Street.

Evidence that FMPD needs a new headquarters starts with where it stores its evidence. The police department has storage pods in the parking lot because the evidence room located inside the building is already overflowing.

Derrick Diggs is the Chief of Police in Fort Myers. “I’ve got command officers whose offices were in a closet…” said Chief Diggs.

Last month, Chief Diggs took WINK News on a tour and showed us some of these problems. “You can’t be a 21st-century police agency in a 1980’s building,” he said.

That 1980s building also doesn’t have enough parking spaces for the police cars nor enough room to hold briefings inside. “Our officers do roll call on the parking lot,” Chief Diggs said.

The proposed solution to these problems is to renovate the News-Press building that is right down the street from the current police headquarters.

The price tag for the renovation went from $34-$36 million initially to now costing almost $80 million. In October, WINK News told you that Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson was doubtful about how the price rose so much. “I think initially, we were just told a lower price. And I don’t know if that was intentionally to get us to buy into it,” Mayor Anderson.

On Friday, WINK News told you that the former Inspector General for Fort Myers Police, Donald Oswald, resigned. This happened due to an internal affairs investigation into high-ranking FMPD officers. Oswald says they tried to hide that large cost increase from Fort Myers City Council and taxpayers.

My issue is that no public official has the right to order or suggest to a subordinate.. that they not discuss a $30 to $35 million overrun,” said Oswald.

That internal affairs investigation did eventually clear everyone who is involved.

As for the proposed new headquarters, some suggestions made by city councilmembers include selling the News-Press site and buying land elsewhere to develop, taking the idea back to the city council for reconsideration, or doing the build-in phases.