Fort Myers City Council to give update on search for police chief

Reporter: Tiffany Rizzo Writer: Nicholas Karsen
Published: Updated:
Fort Myers Police Department (CREDIT: WINK News)

The Fort Myers Police Department is still without a permanent police chief, but there may be an update on the next candidate at an upcoming Fort Myers City Council meeting.

The council members are going to give an update on the search for a police chief, but we don’t expect a vote to be held on any candidate just yet.

Back in June, the City Council rejected the city manager’s choice for chief. A move that now may have other candidates wondering whether they even want to work for the FMPD.

The discussion was put on the meeting agenda by councilwoman Darla Bonk, who voted against the original police chief candidate. The City Council voted not to hire Reo Hatfield, the city manager’s pick for chief who has 26 years of police experience.

This is against what usually happens when the city manager selects a candidate for the council to vote in. Mayor and former police officer Kevin Anderson discusses the problems this could pose for trying to hire a police chief.

“I got a phone call this morning from a police chief who said, ‘Mayor, would you tell me why a qualified police chief would want to apply for your agency now? If they’re aware of the fact that you had a highly qualified candidate, who was dismissed, for no valid reason whatsoever, why would another qualified chief want to apply for this position? That concerns me,” Anderson said.

Due to the drama, will there be any other candidates to drop out of the running for police chief?

Currently, the other three finalists in the running are Gina Hawkins who has 35 years of police chief experience. Jason Fields, the current acting police major at FMPD with 23 years of experience. Victor Medico, a current police captain who also has 23 years of experience.

It will be up to the city manager if he wants to bring one of them forward.

WINK will be in attendance during the City Council meeting which will begin at 4:30 p.m. and will update on any developments.

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