Veach proposes town explore police department; council demurs

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

With all of the hits taken to the Town of Fort Myers Beach budget from Hurricane Ian, the town may not have the $250,000 in funds it had budgeted for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office to provide community policing officers on the island

“In general, our budget’s out the window for this year,” interim Town Manager Keith Wilkins said

The town had budgeted the extra funds for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office for a program town officials were told may provide two extra officers dedicated to the island

At the town council’s management and planning session this past week, Councilmember Bill Veach suggested the town explore having its own police force

Veach found no takers at the meeting New council members John King and Karen Woodson campaigned on supporting the extra funds for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Mayor Dan Allers and Vice Mayor Jim Atterholt were proponents of the expanded Lee County Sheriff’s Office presence during September’s budget debates

At the council’s last meeting, Allers and Atterholt continue to state their preference for that route

“This is nothing I am necessarily advocating but I think it is worth a conversation,”

Veach said “Should we consider getting a

This is nothing I am necessarily advocating but I think it is worth a conversation. Should we consider getting a police department? The reason I am asking this is I have full faith in the Sheriff, they are doing a great job. They are not in our structure. They don’t answer to the town They have a different chain of command which makes some things a little awkward during the storm Things like curfews and working to get people on and off the island ”

Councilmember Bill Veach

message ”

Atterholt suggested Veach look into the City of Sanibel’s budget for its own police department The department has more than 20 employees and a budget of more than $5 million.

“It’s a significant cost,” Atterholt said “Certainly not a luxury we can afford at this time ” police department? The reason I am asking this is I have full faith in the Sheriff, they are doing a great job They are not in our structure They don’t answer to the town They have a different chain of command which makes some things a little awkward during the storm Things like curfews and working to get people on and off the island ”

Veach said he wanted to see if there was any interest in looking into the costs of a police department and then putting it up for a referendum to voters to see if they would want to pay a separate tax for it

Woodson said she wanted to look further into community policing first before exploring the creation of the town’s own police department

Allers said community policing was a budget issue currently and suggested the town look into whether it can obtain state money or Federal Emergency Management Agency funds for community policing

Allers said it would also depend on whether the Lee County Sheriff’s Office has the staff to dedicate to the program The department has a budget of more than $240 million Allers said the Lee County Sheriff’s Office community policing program has worked well in Bonita Springs “and they continue to add to it.”

Veach said the town should revisit its budget in light of Hurricane Ian and reassess priorities

Councilmember John King said the Lee County Sheriff’s Office has a grant writer and said the town should work with the office to see if it can find grant funding for community policing

Atterholt opposed even discussing the concept of the town operating its own police department further at another council meeting.

“I am very concerned because our relationship with the Lee County sheriff’s department has never been better,” Atterholt said “To have even the investigation of a town police force on our (management and planning) calendar could send the wrong

Veach said “the issue is really more about control Maybe there won’t be another storm like this but it seems like there was a lot of confusion about is the island is open or closed? We would try to do things but the Sheriff and the chain of command would do something else ”

During the early days and weeks after Hurricane Ian, town officials, Lee County Sheriff’s Office officials, fire department officials and Lee County Government officials pointed fingers at each other about who was in charge of entry onto the island, restrictions onto the island, curfews and other access questions

Allers said he didn’t think the confusion during Hurricane Ian was due to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office

“They will do whatever we ask them to do,” he said

Allers said he thinks the office can help out now with such issues as open containers on Times Square and speeding on Estero Boulevard Allers said the town can’t afford its own police department