Sourcing Sheriff Marceno’s claims about Lee County’s safety

Reporter: Gail Levy Writer: Joey Pellegrino
Published: Updated:
Lee County Sheriff's
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno is running for reelection. When WINK News spoke to him at a campaign event, Marceno cited statistics on how much safer Lee County has been since he became sheriff. Where do those statistics come from?

“In 2020, when I was elected, I gave it my all, and we’ve done great things along the way,” Marceno said. “We’re now third-safest city in the nation—we were number six worst. We had 121 positions down—now we’re fully staffed with a waiting list. The results are there. I’m proud to say I’m running the full force.”

(Though Marceno says “city,” it is possible he means all of Lee “County,” as he later attaches the “third-safest” and “sixth-worst” statistics to the county as a whole.)

Crime in Lee County has decreased every year since 2011. But as for any sort of ranking, like third-safest in the nation? The Florida Department of Law Enforcement says it was not the source of that statistic.

Checking Marceno’s Facebook page, he mentioned the same statistic in December 2022…

“I’m proud to tell you we’re now the third-safest [county] for violent crime; independent numbers let out by the FBI and FDLE really shows Lee County as the third safest.”

… and again in March 2023.

“Lee County was ranked number six worst for violent crime; not my numbers, independent numbers that are done by FDLE and the FBI.”

WINK checked and could not find that statistic anywhere. FDLE recommended WINK reporters verify that with Marceno. Emailing LCSO brought no response as of Tuesday.

FDLE says it does not make ranked lists.

The FBI responded with a link to its crime data reporter and a warning against rankings. The bureau says rough rankings provide no insight into the numerous variables that contribute to crime in a particular region, state or county.

WINK did talk with someone from the Marceno campaign by late Tuesday. He believed the ranking specifically came from the FBI.

If WINK is able to trace the statistics, or if Marceno provides his precise source of information, more coverage will follow. It is possible he has seen a statistic from U.S. News & World Report claiming Fort Myers is the third-safest city in the country, but the source of that site’s data is likewise unknown.

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