Message From - Lee County Sheriff`s Office

Message From
Sheriff Mike Scott
operational funding. Lee County has experienced the
recent national economic downturn, foremost through
its high volume of foreclosures. While I am confident
Southwest Florida’s economy will turn around, we are
proactively saving taxpayer dollars. We cut our operating budget for the third consecutive year to help the Lee
County Board of County Commissioners close its financial shortfall. With an approved FY 11-12 operating
budget of $140,774,360, we now operate with nearly
$20 million less and 91 fewer positions than we did in
FY 08-09.
To the people of
Lee County:
2012 stands as a momentous year for the
Lee County Sheriff’s Office as it celebrates its
125th year of existence.
To celebrate this anniversary, the first half of this year’s annual report will
take you back in time to show you the progress we
have made as an agency, beginning in 1887 with our
first Sheriff, Thomas W. Langford. Back then, Sheriff
Langford was responsible for the public safety of the
1,414 residents that lived in the 4,000 square miles of
Southwest Florida. Today, more than 625,310 residents now call the 803 square miles of Lee County
home, and continue to grow in numbers…
To minimize health care costs, our employee health
care clinic was created to handle routine and preventative care. The clinic had a greater than 90 percent utilization rate in FY 10-11 with 13,409 total medical and
ancillary appointments. The clinic also conducted
1,131 health risk assessments to treat and or help prevent a serious medical event from happening.
In recognition of our outreach efforts, the Lee County
Injury Prevention Coalition honored the Sheriff’s Office
with its “Agency of the Year Award” for supporting the
coalition’s mission and critical safety initiatives, including Operation Medicine Cabinet, which offers the public
a way to safely dispose of prescription drugs. In 2011,
this agency collected more than 575,000 pills at public
events.
More than 1 million people will be living in Lee County
within the next 25 years, according to a BEBR-UF estimate. That’s a 75 percent increase from the 2010 Census population estimate of 618,754. Our agency’s service population grew by 24,337 residents last year;
however, the crime rate for unincorporated Lee County
continued to decline in 2011, falling 0.6 percent overall,
while murders and forced sex crimes dropped 11.8 percent and 23.8 percent, respectively.
On behalf of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, I thank you
for making Southwest Florida a better place to live and
raise a family for the last and next 125 years.
Sheriff Mike Scott We are proud to provide comprehensive and fiscally
responsible law enforcement services despite reduced
2
Sheriff Thomas W. Langford
1887 - 1901
Deputy
Inlo Swope
stands with
his patrol
vehicle,
Car #4,
outside of
the original
Lee
County Jail
in this
photo from
1950.
Gov. Edward Perry appointed Thomas W. Langford
the county’s first Sheriff in
1887 and made him responsible for public safety
throughout the nearly 4,000
square miles of Southwest
Florida. The area was
sparsely populated, with only
1,414 residents, according to
the 1890 Census. Prior to
that time, Fort Myers was
part of Monroe County. Residents were required to travel by train or boat to the
county seat in Key West to conduct business and were
largely isolated, which upset local pioneer families.
served his first full term after winning election in 1888,
followed by two additional terms before deciding not to
run again. These were rough times, with frequent shootings and stabbings, and Sheriff Langford had his hands
full.
Lee’s first jail, 1892
Sheriff Langford, who was Marshal of the Fort Myers
Police Department at the time of his appointment,
Monroe County government had a jail in Fort Myers
prior to the creation of Lee County on May 13, 1887.
When Lee County Commissioners took office, they
discovered the jail to be unsafe and too expensive to
continue to operate. In July 1889, they asked Sheriff
Thomas Langford to move the prisoners to the Key
West Jail until a new jail could be built. Commissioners
on June 6, 1892, opened the first Lee County jail at a
cost of $7,284.30. The structure remained open until
1953. On Jan. 1, 1893, Commissioners granted Sheriff
Langford’s request to build an office in the new jail –
construction costs not to exceed $10.00.
This photo
from 1888
depicts Lee
County’s first
officers.
Photo courtesy of Southwest Florida
Historical
Society
3
Sheriff Frank B. Tippins
1901 - 1918
Sheriff Tippins was known for his “jaunts,” the first being
in November 1918. After five consecutive terms, he left
his post to work for the Pinkerton Detective Agency and
tracked down a man who robbed a bank in LaBelle.
“Tippins knew the robber, so Uncle Frank as we called
him later in his years, took off after the robber,” according to Flanders “Snag” Thompson, who served as Sheriff between 1949 and 1973. Tippins eventually apprehended his man in Washington State. Tippins then became a deputy Internal Revenue Collector to help break
up bootlegging prevalent on the U.S. West Coast.
Frank Tippins served with civility in a wild era for law enforcement during his first stint
as Lee County Sheriff. Despite shootings, stabbings, jail
breaks and other mayhem,
the Sheriff rarely carried his
service weapon – he didn’t
like a pistol flapping at his
side. In fact, he only had to
use his weapon twice, according to news reports.
Lee County only had 3,071 residents at the turn of the
century, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, although
that number more than doubled to 6,294 in the following
10 years.
Sheriff Z. Tom Hand
1918 - 1919
Interim Sheriff Z. Tom Hand
holds the distinction as the
shortest serving Lee County
Sheriff, having only served
from December 1918 to
November 1919 after being
appointed by Gov. Sidney
Johnston Catts. When Tippins eventually returned to
Lee County, he wanted his
old job back. Sheriff Hand
promptly resigned.
This 1905 photo depicts the construction of Palm Beach
Boulevard in Lee County. To save money, the commissioners
voted to do the work themselves rather than award it to a contractor. Photo courtesy Southwest Florida Historical Society
4
Sheriff Frank B. Tippins
1919 - 1923
Following his first resignation,
Governor Catts appointed
Frank Tippins as interim Sheriff in 1919 before he resigned
again, less than four years
later. Sheriff Tippins nearly
resigned in 1921 after concluding that he was alone in
his campaign to keep Lee
County clean and that the
community was not supportive of his efforts to curb illegal liquor traffic during the
prohibition.
This undated photo represents a moonshine still - a recurring
problem for law enforcement. The exact location is unknown.
Photo courtesy of Southwest Florida Historical Society
It appears he needn’t worry. Lee County was the most
law abiding county in Florida in 1921, and among the
best in the nation, according to State Attorney Watt
Lawler and reported in the Fort Myers Tropical News.
The Fort Myers Press reported that his departure would
have been a calamity to the county. “Sheriff Tippins has
consented to retain the office and carry along its work in
response to the wishes of the masses of the people,
knowing that he has the moral support of all substantial
citizens ... at any and all times.”
The Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU)
was one of Sheriff Tippins strongest allies in the fight to
keep Fort Myers “dry.” From their initial vote in 1887 to
the passage of the 18th Amendment in 1919 and its repeal in 1933, the WCTU held its ground in closing the
doors of saloons and removing temptation from the
“sinful drunks.”
Jail in decline
Although the Lee County Jail passed a State Prison inspection in June 1910, by March 1922 Commissioners
decided to investigate a site for a new jail because the
jail was found to be unsafe and unsanitary. Commissioners urged Sheriff Tippins to have the jail cleaned, and
remove the dog being confined there.
Reports vary on the reason for Sheriff Tippins’ second
resignation from office. They include poor health as well
as a decision to pilot a two-masted schooner headed to
South America, according to recollections of Sheriff
Snag Thompson.
5
Sheriff J. Ed Albritton
1923 - 1925
percent reduction undoubtedly made law enforcement
less difficult.
The extension of the Tamiami Trail from Punta Gorda to
North Fort Myers was completed in 1924 and further improved the county’s infrastructure. Coupled with the extension of the Dixie Highway from Olga to Arcadia two
years prior, Lee County grew rapidly through land
speculation and development.
Gov. Cary A. Hardee appointed J. Ed Albritton interim
Sheriff in April 1923 following
Frank Tippins’ second resignation, but unlike his predecessor Sheriff Hand, Sheriff
Albritton refused to give up
his seat. That prompted a
contested Sheriff’s race that
was won again by Sheriff
Tippins. With 22 months tenure, Sheriff Albritton has the
second shortest tenure of any
Sheriff stabbing
Sheriff Albritton faced a brush with death in October
1923 when J.A. Lewis, better known as “Pork Chop
Lewis,” visited the Sheriff unexpectedly at the Lee
County Jail, according to press reports. Lewis entered
the jail compound without warning, gained entry to the
living area and went upstairs to the Sheriff’s bedroom,
awakening him from sleep.
Lee County Sheriff.
In 1923, the Florida Legislature created Hendry and Collier counties from the southern and eastern sections of
Lee County, significantly reducing the county’s square
miles from 4,298.35 to 803.63. The more than 80
Lewis insisted on seeing a prisoner, but the Sheriff told
him visiting hours were over and unless it was an emergency, he would have to come back tomorrow. After
Lewis and his wife refused to leave the jail yard, Sheriff
Albritton confronted the duo and told them to leave. He
returned later to find them still there, at which point the
Sheriff told them to “leave or else.” That prompted
Lewis to lunge at Sheriff Albritton, slashing his left arm
above the elbow. The sheriff grabbed Lewis as he received several other stab wounds to the back.
A Lee County Sheriff’s deputy draws a
crowd as he assists in
capturing an iguana in
this 1925 photo on
Fort Myers Beach.
Photo courtesy of
Southwest Florida
Historical Society
With the help of Clerk of the Court J.F. Garner, who
lived across the street, Lewis was placed under arrest
and charged with assault with intent to murder.
6
Sheriff Frank B. Tippins
1925 - 1933
Wild Bill
Sheriff Frank Tippins arrested and
jailed Cape Coral
pioneer “Wild Bill”
Belvins on charges
of stealing pelican
eggs in 1931 as a
gag in this photo
from the Southwest Florida Historical Society.
Belvins was somewhat of a mystery,
living along the
shores of Charlotte
County after taking
up a challenge by
the Fort Myers
Tropical News to
thrive “on the other
side of the Caloosahatchee” without any modern conveniences for a year. Sheriff Tippins pulled Wild Bill
from the woods exactly one year later.
Sheriff Frank Tippins held
the top law enforcement post
for another two terms before
retiring for good at the end of
his term. He had the longest
career as a law enforcement
officer in Florida – and possibly the nation – with 53 years
of service at the time of his
retirement after serving as a
Miami-based United States
Marshal until 1946, according to press reports.
When making an arrest, Sheriff Tippins would customarily go to the home of the offender and discuss the matter
and warn of the arrest warrant as a means to avoid violence when taking a person to jail, his obituary recalls.
He avoided the practice of locking up drunks unless they
became unruly, and maintained his reputation for honesty. He was proud that there never was a lynching dur-
Integration
ing his tenure, and that he was able to prevent such an
act from happening through his persuasive abilities.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office had an integrated police force as far back as the Tippins era, news reports
show. Deputy Dave Waldo, who was black, served under Sheriff Frank Tippins, Robert King, Fred Roberts
and Floyd Ellis.
Sheriff Tippins captured an estimated 450 illegal aliens
during his time in office. Press reports state that so effective were his operations that the Sheriff would be
waiting on the beach for the foreigner to emerge from
the water.
7
Sheriff Robert “Bob” King
1933 - 1941
Brush with fame
Robert King’s career is notable in that prior to his election as Sheriff in 1933 he was a highly successful commercial fishing guide who counted among his clients the
famous outdoors writer Zane Grey. King also claimed
to be the first Lee County guide to have owned his own
power boat.
Long-time Lee County resident Bob King, who served
two terms as sheriff, is also
notable for being one of the
best South Florida tarpon
guides of the 20th century.
Grey began coming to Florida in the early 1920s, and
the two struck up a lasting friendship while plying the
waters in the Ten Thousand Islands and Shark River,
according to his 1963 obituary in the Fort Myers NewsPress.
Recalling his childhood during his term as Sheriff, King
told a local newspaper “The
cattlemen were in control
when I came to Lee County.
This was wild country back in
the ’90s, but a few citizens saw the future of South Florida, worked for law and order and helped bring Lee
County to its present prosperity.”
In fact, Grey recruited King to go to California with him
in search of big-game tuna and swordfish. The endeavor was short lived, and King returned home to Florida after also spending time in Nova Scotia despite
Grey’s offer of a private mansion on the Pacific Coast.
At this time, Lee County deputy jailer Louis “Red” Furen,
his wife, Alma, and son Louis Jr. resided in the living
quarters on the second floor of the jail. Alma shared
cooking duties with the trustees in preparing the daily
meals for anyone in the jail. There were jail cells on both
floors. The Florida Highway Patrol’s office was on the
first floor. Actually, the FHP office consisted only of one
desk in the corner. On more than one occasion, the
Belle Glade Police Department temporarily housed its
prisoners in the Lee County jail during hurricane
threats. Conditions, at that point, were very crowded and
the Belle Glade prisoners slept on the floor.
Lee County
opened a
two lane
drawbridge
on Feb 11,
1931,
named in
honor of
inventor
Thomas
Edison.
The bridge dedication took place on Edison’s 84th birthday, and he
was in the first car that drove across it after the ribbon-cutting. This
bridge made travel to the north much more convenient. Photo courtesy of Southwest Florida Historical Society
8
Sheriff Fred Roberts
1941 - 1945
Fred Roberts built a successful campaign around stomping out vice. When President
Franklin Roosevelt declared
war on the Japanese Dec. 8,
1941, the Sheriff helped lead
the charge to defend Southwest Florida and contribute to
the war effort.
The Fort Myers Defense
Council, which included
Sheriff Roberts, immediately
hired armed guards to watch over the city gas and water
plant and a month later began enforcing vagrancy laws
that would
require all
unemployed
men to
work in the
fields, according to
the 1989
article “Fort
Myers During World
War II”
Party at the Ranch, May 14, 1944, at the
published
Buckingham Gunnery School Air Base. Photo
A 1941 photo taken of a confiscated moonshine still
located in the area between the jail and County Courthouse.
(Left to right) US Revenue Agents JC “Pop” Hales and Irvin
Harris and Lee County deputies / jailers Abe Skinner Jr. and
Louie Pellicer.
in the Spring/Summer edition of Tampa Bay History.
Controversy arose in March 1942 with Sheriff Roberts’
call for anyone with a high-powered rifle to register with
him as part of civilian defense measures. Sheriffs were
responsible for the defense in the absence of military
forces, but the decision was opposed by the State Defense Council.
The creation of the Buckingham Gunner School Air
Base and Page Field Air Base made policing difficult, as
thousands of airmen were processed through the two
facilities. Lee County’s population had grown to 17,488
from 14,990 in the prior decade, according to the 1940
Census, not counting the influx of 16,000 servicemen.
courtesy of Southwest Florida Historical Society
9
Sheriff Floyd Ellis
1945 - 1949
To celebrate his first
30 days in office,
Sheriff Ellis announced a campaign
to clean out all “Cuba”
players, according to
local news reports.
Cuba is a form of
gambling similar to
bolita, only with the
payoff made on the
last two numbers of
the official government lottery number
in Havana. The numbers were announced
every Saturday on
Cuban radio stations.
This undated photo of Deputy Carson
Two arrests were
Ackert was taken in downtown
Fort Myers.
made immediately
prior to the February
1945 announcement, with another two arrests in the
same week of under a “work or jail” policy, with speculation being that they were known “Cuba” peddlers.
Floyd Ellis defeated Sheriff
Fred Roberts in a general
election and served a four
year term. Sheriff Ellis ran a
campaign to clean up the
county, and according to
press reports, he was successful. “The county was in
pretty bad shape during the
war,” a condition he corrected, his successor Snag
Thompson recalls. “He did a
good job as sheriff.”
Cowboy up - Wanted: Cow catcher.
Sheriff Floyd Ellis, fed up with cattle on the lam in Fort
Myers, in residents’ yards and interrupting flights by
grazing on airport runways, attempted to recruit a cowboy to round up and pen cattle that escape their owners.
Lee County’s military installations quickly shut down at
the conclusion of the war, with both Page Field Air Base
and the Buckingham Gunner School closed on Sept. 30,
1945, according to the Spring/Summer edition of Tampa
Bay History.
A deputy appointed to the position resigned after deeming it not profitable enough – $1 for each cow captured,
and an additional 75 cents a day if the cow must be fed.
“Unfortunately, it seems that if we don’t have a deputy
the cows get out; and if we do have a deputy, they
don’t,” the Sarasota Herald Tribune reported in December 1948. The outcome is no opportunity for the deputy
to make money.
Fort Myers began to grow with boom-time subdivisions
coming to life. Hundreds of new homes were built in all
parts of the city.
10
Sheriff Flanders “Snag” Thompson
1949 - 1973
1953 jail
Between 1922 and 1953 there was much discussion
surrounding the construction of a new jail. In 1923 renovations were completed to the jail, and in 1926 another
section of cells were added. World Wars I and II came
and went, construction plans were discussed and bids
were taken.
Flanders “Snag” Thompson’s
law enforcement career began as a motorcycle policeman with the Florida Highway Patrol in 1939. He took
a leave of absence in World
War II to fight in North Africa,
Sicily and Italy and returned
to the Highway Patrol as a
sergeant. From there
Thompson won the first of
six terms as Sheriff in 1948.
However, it wasn’t until 1950 that Florida Jail Inspector
Jessie Creech strongly encouraged Lee County Commissioners to construct a new jail as soon as possible
or he would be compelled to condemn the jail and the
prisoners would be moved to other county facilities.
Sheriff Snag Thompson held an open house for the
community in September 1953 to examine the new
$390,000 jail, which held 120 inmates.
Lee County’s population really took off during this period. After reaching 23,404 residents in 1950, the population hit 54,539 in 1960 and 105,216 in 1970. Sanibel
Causeway’s opening in 1963 spurred barrier island development, while the completion of the Cape Coral
Bridge in 1964 greatly expanded traffic between Cape
Coral and Fort Myers.
salary of $7,020. With a service population of 85,000
residents, the National Safety Council at the time recommended a police force of 162.
Notable achievements include helping in the development of the Florida Sheriff’s Boys Ranch in 1952 and
serving as president of the Florida Sheriff’s Association
in 1960.
Despite the population growth, the agency remained
small and pay was a pittance. The Lee County Sheriff’s
Department had a 68-man force in 1970, with a starting
“Gunsmoke” star James Arness,
left, and Sheriff Snag Thompson,
far right, recreate a scene from
the Wild West in this undated
photo from the Southwest Florida
Historical Society. Celebrities
were used to generate interest in
Cape Coral and Lehigh Acres.
Snag Thompson rode a Harley Davidson
motorcycle as a charter member of the
Florida Highway Patrol. Photo courtesy
of the Southwest Florida Museum of
History
11
Sheriff Frank Wanicka
1973 - 1988
Originally built in 1976
and continuously expanded, the Stockade
was a series of single
story barracks used to
house minimum security
prisoners. The Stockade
was demolished in 2008.
The growing number of Republican voters in Lee
County helped 34-year-old
GOP candidate Frank Wanicka win the race for Sheriff
in 1972.
proud of Lee County’s high arrest rate, the highest in
Florida, and low crime rate, the lowest in the state. But
he also worried that high population growth will bring the
worst of all possible worlds: “Another Miami.” “We try to
keep a clean town,” the Sheriff said.
Southwest Florida led the
nation in migration to the
Sun Belt in the 1970s. The
Fort Myers-Cape Coral
area grew 94.2 percent between 1970 and 1980, making it the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the nation,
with a county population of 205,266, according to the
United States Census Bureau.
1983 jail
In 1978 state law decreed that the Lee
County Jail was inadequate. Squeezed into
two square blocks, the
Lee County Justice
Center Complex
looms over the existing jail and Fort Myers skyline. The $33.5 million project, which was built more than $1 million under budget,
was opened in phases beginning on July 24, 1983, and
continuing through early 1984.
This rapid rise in population weighed heavily on the fourterm Sheriff. When interviewed by the New York Times
on the region’s growth in 1981, Sheriff Wanicka - who
had a Bible on his desk and a rifle on the wall - was
Sheriff Frank
Wanicka, State
Attorney Joe
D’Alessandro and
Major Don
Schmitt in front of
seized property in
the evidence
compound.
The first part of the complex to be opened was the Lee
County Jail, a maximum security facility designed to
hold 326 prisoners. In 1984, the six floors of the Justice
Center housed the sheriff’s department, state attorney
and public defender, judges, courtrooms, clerks and
tons of records.
12
Sheriff John J. McDougall
1988 - 2001
1992 and 1993, according
to press reports. This included a German shot to
death in Fort Myers. An
additional German tourist
was found shot to death
and dumped in Lehigh
Acres in 1996.
Personal convictions were
the hallmark of Sheriff John
McDougall’s three terms as
Sheriff. The former seminary student turned top law
enforcement officer brought
passion to his position,
fighting valiantly for what he
thought was right.
Personal convictions came Members of the Special Operato the forefront repeatedly.
tions Unit, seen in this 1997
photo, team up with the
His 1997 sharp rebuke of
Aviation
Unit for airborne-based
an abortion provider reoperations.
questing protection from
protesters reverberated
nationally and made the pages of The New York Times.
At the 1999 Edison Festival of Light, Sheriff McDougall
displayed an anti-abortion sign in the parade and drew
the ire of event officials and members of the public.
Lee County was not immune to big city crime and
found itself caught up in the
international uproar over tourist killings. At its height, 10
foreigners were killed in a 13 month period between
Sheriff McDougall also outlined his objections to abortion, gay and lesbian coalitions, “rabid feminist groups,”
“United Nations one-world government radicals,” the
American Civil Liberties Union, President Clinton and
Carter, even “Red China’s” threat to America on the
agency website. The resulting controversy landed Sheriff McDougall a return trip to the “Today” show and questions from Matt Lauer.
Prison release outcry
The Florida Supreme Court’s decision in 1996 to restore “gain time” to violent felons and rapists for good
behavior in one of the biggest mass release of violent
lawbreakers in Florida history did not sit well with
Sheriff McDougall. His concerns landed him on NBC’s
“Today” show in March 1997, where he warned a national audience to stay away from Florida. “I wouldn’t
tell anyone, wouldn’t even tell my family to come. I think
it’s very dangerous.” However, Sheriff McDougall did
receive support from the statewide, nonprofit citizens’
activist group Stop Turning Out Prisoners, which opposed early release programs.
The area’s rapid population growth was unrelenting, and
placed increasing burdens on law enforcement. Between 1980 and1990, more than 125,000 additional
residents made Lee home, bringing the total count to
335,113 residents before jumping to 440,880 in 2000.
13
Sheriff Rodney Shoap
2001 - 2004
2002 jail expansion
Growth in criminal activity and an outdated jail facility
led to the $6.4 million Jail remodeling and addition of
the Juvenile Assessment Center in 2002. This redesign
added
inmate
booking
space and
expanded
the patrol
sally-port
area for the
transfer of
inmates.
Rod Shoap built a successful campaign for Sheriff
around public transparency
and better fiscal and operational management.
In his tenure, the Sheriff developed five-year strategic
plans that linked strategic
and operational planning
with the budget process
and quantitative performance measures. The result
was a blueprint for agency employees, county administration and members of the public. The Shoap administration also created annual reports to increase public
accountability. Community policing deputies put the
agency motto of “In Partnership with our Community”
into practice.
During Sheriff Shoap’s tenure, the agency budget grew
more than 70 percent – from $63.1 million to $107.6 million, while the number of employees grew more than 25
percent, from 943 to 1,290. The agency was growing
and revising how it operated. Acting on the goal to operate the agency as a business, the Shoap administration
enacted a $20 jail booking fee on inmates to defray
costs associated with their incarceration.
Delinquent canines facing
a death sentence for bad
behavior now have a second chance on life, thanks
to inmate trainers at the
Lee County Core facility.
Inmates teach the dogs
obedience, socialization
and basic commands before the dogs are put up
for adoption.
DUI enforcement was a top priority, and reflected in the
number of arrests made. Between 2001 and 2004, arrests rose 73 percent – from 746 to 1,238. Reflecting
that accomplishment, the LCSO Traffic Unit was named
the No. 1 Traffic Unit” in the United States for agencies
with 500 to 1,000 sworn officers at the National Chief’s
Challenge and one of the top three Traffic Units at the
Governor’s Highway Safety Association.
14
Sheriff Mike Scott
2004 - Present
of lis pendens during
this time, which triggered the start of the
“rocket dockets” -judges blasted through
foreclosure cases in
less than 20 seconds.
A third generation native of Lee
County, Mike Scott has seen
many changes over the years. In
2004, he became only the 12th
person to oversee the Lee County
Sheriff’s Office since 1887, and he
was re-elected by a landslide in
2008.
As unemployment rates Lee County’s indoor gun range that
reached 14 percent by opened in 2005 is considered one of
the most sophisticated in the world.
2010, the Lee County
Sgt. Jack Bores practices at the 50Sheriff’s Office held
meter gun range while Training
steady with no layoffs or
Deputy Fred Koelber observes.
furloughs -- unlike those
experienced by other local law enforcement agencies.
During his tenure, Sheriff Scott
has been faced with a major housing crisis when Lee County became one of the top ranked areas
in foreclosures beginning in 2007.
Deputies served a record number
Sheriff Scott leads by example. His involvement in the
community is unmatched. His integrity and diligence
have earned him local admiration and statewide recognition. In his first year in office, the Florida Crime Prevention Association
awarded him the President’s Award, the highest
honor given to any Chief
or Sheriff in Florida for
his or her progressive actions in the area of crime
prevention. Sheriff Mike
Scott is prepared for the
Lee County is now better prechallenges ahead and is
pared for emergency situations
always quick to promote
and natural disasters with the
the agency and its mem2007 purchase of a state of the
art mobile command center.
bers.
The Ortiz
Correctional
Facilities
seen here is
a campus
style facility
with minimum, medium and
maximum
holding areas.
Construction was completed in phases beginning in 2002 with the
eight $9.3 million “Sprung” units, followed by the $20.5 million Core
medium security facility, that opened in 2003 and the maximum
security Core facility that opened in 2008, which cost $52.8 million.
15
Sheriff Mike Scott
2004 - Present
The LCSO Forensics / Evidence Facility, which opened in 2008, is
expected to meet agency needs for 20 years.
Making news
The Sheriff’s Star
profiled Sheriff
Mike Scott on the
cover of its July /
August 2010
edition after he
completed the
241st FBI National
Academy. Sheriff
Scott’s class selected him as
spokesman for the
260 law enforcement professionals from 48 states
and 29 countries
in attendance.
16
Sheriff Scott’s
Command Staff
CHIEF DEPUTY HOMAN
SPECIAL
OPERATIONS
MAJOR SIMS
CIVILIAN OPERATIONS
BUREAU
EXEC. DIR. BERGQUIST
CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATIONS
MAJOR JONES
PATROL
MAJOR JOHNSON
LAW ENFORCEMENT
BUREAU
COLONEL ALLEN
CORRECTIONS
CORRECTIONS
ORTIZ SITE
DOWNTOWN
MAJOR EBERHARDT MAJOR BARRACO
CORRECTIONS
BUREAU
COLONEL ELLEGOOD
17
LCSO Districts
Alpha District
Bonita Substations
(North)
121 Pondella Rd.
North Fort Myers
(239) 477-1810
(South)
10520 Reynolds St.
Bonita Springs
(239) 477-1140
Bravo District
Echo District
(East)
1301 Homestead Rd.
Lehigh Acres
(239) 477-1820
(Central)
12295 S Cleveland Ave.
Suite 171
Fort Myers
(239) 477-1850
Charlie District
Gulf District
Main Headquarters
14750 Six Mile Cypress Parkway
Fort Myers, Florida 33912
(West)
15650 Pine Ridge Rd.
Fort Myers
(239) 477-1830
(Island Coastal)
13921 Waterfront Drive
Pineland
(239) 282-5766
Emergencies:
Dial 911
Delta District
Gulf District
(South)
8951 Bonita Beach Rd.
Suite 565
Bonita Springs
(239) 477-1840
(Island Coastal)
360 E. Railroad Ave.
Boca Grande
(941) 964-2400
Non-Emergencies:
(239) 477-1000
Website: www.SheriffLeeFl.org
18
Law Enforcement
DID YOU KNOW...
Violent crime
dropped 11% from
2010 to 2011?
Sheriff’s Office deputies
are responsible for law enforcement in all of Lee
County 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. It’s a
duty that deputies perform
in conjunction with Cape
Coral, Fort Myers and
Sanibel Police Department
officers in their respective
municipal boundaries.
Deputies handled 497,497 calls for service in 2011.
Overall, the crime rate for unincorporated Lee County
declined by 0.6 percent.
Patrol District clerks take
reports and answer calls
from the public. Hours of
operation are 7:30 a.m. to
5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
in Alpha, Bravo, Charlie,
Delta and Echo Districts;
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Gulf
District; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in
the Boca Grande substation; and, 24 hours a day
at the Bonita substation.
Deputies’ responsibilities extend far beyond traditional
street patrol. Duties also include responding to calls for
service, crime prevention, criminal investigations, felony
case support, traffic enforcement, and serving criminal
warrants and summons. Their efforts are essential to
law enforcement’s mission to reduce crime.
DID YOU KNOW...
Crimes may be
reported by calling the
Lee County Sheriff’s
Office at 477-1000 or
SW Florida Crime
Stoppers at
332-5555?
Deputies also meet and become familiar with area residents, business owners and the whereabouts of criminals in a deputy’s assigned area.
Deputies work
12-hour shifts
on varying
schedules to
maintain sufficient law enforcement levels for the
time of day or
circumstance.
Charlie
(West)
District
Substation
19
Law Enforcement
ALPHA DISTRICT
DELTA DISTRICT
Alpha District is primarily responsible for the northeast
portion of the county, including North Fort Myers and
Alva.
Delta District is primarily responsible for Lee County
south of Six Mile Cypress Parkway to Collier County,
including Estero and Bonita Springs.
The district recorded a 15 percent reduction in
violent crimes between 2010 and 2011.
The district recorded a 21 percent reduction in
violent crimes between 2010 and 2011.
Capt. Rick Dobson is the Alpha District commander.
Capt. Kathy Rairden is the Delta District commander.
BRAVO DISTRICT
ECHO DISTRICT
Bravo District is primarily responsible for Lehigh Acres
east to the Hendry County border and north to the Caloosahatchee River.
Echo District is primarily responsible for the Fort Myers
area east of S. Tamiami Trail, including Buckingham
and the Gateway community south of State Road 82.
The district recorded a 3 percent reduction in
violent crimes between 2010 and 2011.
The district recorded an 18 percent reduction in
violent crimes between 2010 and 2011.
Capt. Ron Curtis is the Bravo District commander.
Capt. Scott Ciresi is the Echo District commander.
CHARLIE DISTRICT
GULF DISTRICT
Charlie District is primarily responsible for the
McGregor/Iona area of Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach
and indirectly responsible for portions of Cape Coral.
Gulf District is primarily responsible for Lee County’s
barrier islands, including Pine Island, as well as northwest Cape Coral east to Santa Barbara Boulevard.
The district recorded a 9 percent reduction in
violent crimes between 2010 and 2011.
The district recorded a 41 percent reduction in
violent crimes between 2010 and 2011.
Capt. Matthew Powell is the Charlie District commander.
Capt. Rick Dobson is the Gulf District commander.
20
Corrections
JUVENILE ASSESSMENT CENTER (JAC)
DOWNTOWN JAIL
The Jail serves as the central
intake / booking facility for
people arrested within Lee
County. The facility has a
rated bed capacity of 451
and is maximum security.
JAC Manager,
Bill Naylor
www.swfljac.org
(239) 344-5100
CORE FACILITY
The Juvenile Assessment Center (JAC) is a partnership between local law enforcement and nonprofit
agencies that serve at-risk youth and their families.
The JAC booking facility is attached to the Main Jail
but partitioned from the general population. In
2011, the center accepted 3,673 juveniles, and 155
juveniles participated in civil citation in lieu of arrest.
The Core Facility houses all
female inmates as well as
maximum and medium security male inmates. It has a
rated bed capacity of 1,216,
and provides all services at
the Ortiz Site, including
medical, laundry and food
service.
DID YOU KNOW...
Inmates booked:
Inmates released:
Inmate GEDs earned:
Inmate cost per day:
Cost of food:
Inmate meals served:
Inmate transport miles:
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS UNIT (CPU)
30,133
30,232
140
$78.12
$2,492,983
2,177,543
198,479
The CPU is a minimum security facility with 336 beds. It
offers a wide array of programs to assist inmates with
re-entry skills, and alcohol
and drug treatment.
21
Corrections
DAY WORK PROGRAM
The Day Work Program was designed and implemented to provide a sentencing alternative for individuals who otherwise might be sentenced to serve
weekends incarcerated in the Lee County Jail.
COURT OPERATIONS
Day labor inmates provided 64,172 hours of labor in
2011. At the minimum wage rate of $7.67 per hour,
day labor saved county taxpayers an estimated
$492,199.
INMATE PROGRAMS
The Corrections Bureau offers a wide range of programs and services designed to prepare inmates for
re-entry into the community, such as:
Court Operations personnel are responsible
for the safety and control of the following:
- Alcoholics, Cocaine & Narcotics Anonymous
- Anger Management
- Bible Study & Ministry
- Day Worker Program
- Domestic Violence Awareness
- Exceptional Student Education
- General Educational Development
Program (GED)
- Juvenile Education Program
- Life Skills Programs
- New Directions
- Residential Substance Abuse Program
- Circuit Court Judges:
- County Judges:
- Magistrates/Hearing Officers:
- Senior Judges:
- Prisoners moved:
- Juvenile Cases:
- Civil Cases:
- Traffic Cases Cape Coral:
- Felony Cases:
- Misdemeanor Cases:
22
18
8
8
6
18,740
18,304
77,203
1,125
40,431
72,994
Communications
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) Communications
Center is the primary public
safety answering point
(PSAP) for unincorporated
Lee County, the City of Bonita Springs and the Town of
Fort Myers Beach, and is operated by Communications personnel 24 hours a day
throughout the year. LCSO answers all 911 calls for
these areas whether generated by landline or cellular
phones. All administrative and non-emergency calls for
service are received on the Sheriff's Office main administrative number and/or extensions specifically assigned
to the communications center.
ners, facilitate communication between local, state and
federal law enforcement agencies, maintain records according to government mandated guidelines, provide
assistance to patrol operations as needed, prepare and
plan for emergency operations, and oversee all communications operations.
Call Statistics
1,200,000 1,001,077 1,000,000 800,000 907,280 753,654 799,036 776,268 775,307 583,154 568,311 565,954 689,016
600,000 The primary responsibilities of Communications personnel are to answer calls from the public and dispatch patrol deputies on calls for service. Additional duties include, but are not limited to: assist in the prosecution of
criminal cases, communicate with external agency part-
400,000 247,423 218,264
215,882 207,957 209,353 2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
200,000 ‐
E‐911 Calls
Non Emergency Total Calls
Total communications center calls consistently fell from
1,001,007 in 2007 to 775,307 in 2011; however, due to
the sharp rise in cell phone use, call length has slightly
increased. Technological advances in mobile devices
require operators to spend more time determining a
caller’s location. Remember to always state your location when requesting assistance to ensure the quickest
possible response time.
23
Volunteers
The Sheriff’s Office is continually seeking ways to improve organizational efficiencies and save taxpayer dollars. The VOICE Unit is an extremely beneficial resource
to the Sheriff’s Office, which fundamentally improves the
way services are provided to the community. LCSO values its volunteers and appreciates each and every one
for their donated time and passion for their community!
Thank you to all of our 176 volunteers!
VOICE volunteers actively participate in traffic
control and fingerprinting? If you would like to
volunteer to assist the
men and women of the
Lee County Sheriff’s Office, call (239) 477-1422.
VOLUNTEER OBSERVERS
IMPACTING COMMUNITY EFFORTS
(V.O.I.C.E.)
54,261 hours volunteered in 2011 =
$998,402* taxpayer dollars saved
*Value calculated using the Florida volunteer rate of $18.40/hour,
provided by independentsector.org)
24
Budget
Fiscal Year 2011/12
$140,774,360
For the third consecutive year, the Sheriff’s Office cut its
operating budget to help the Lee County Board of
County Commissioners close its financial shortfall.
$8,007,694 6%
With an approved FY 2011-12 operating budget of
$140,774,360, we now operate with nearly $20 million
less than we did in FY 08-09. This includes a reduction
of 91 positions.
$49,423,717 35%
$83,342,949 59%
Law Enforcement Total
Corrections Total
LCSO Operating Budget
LCSO Personnel
1,800
1,600
1,400
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
0
507
520
516
LCSO Total
$180,000,000 $160,000,000 $140,000,000 $120,000,000 $100,000,000 $80,000,000 $60,000,000 $40,000,000 $20,000,000 $‐
Courts Total
Law Enforcement Total
Corrections Total
08/09 09/10 10/11 11/12
491
Courts Total
484
C ivilian
1,035 1,105 1,069 1,049 1,050
C ertified
Our agency’s service population of unincorporated Lee
County plus the City of Bonita Springs and the Town of
Fort Myers Beach grew by 24,337 residents last year.
We are proud to provide comprehensive and fiscally
responsible law enforcement services despite reduced
operational funding.
07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 11/12
25
Professional Standards
STAFF INSPECTIONS
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office employs a full-time staff
inspector to assess all agency units and divisions at least
once every three years to evaluate their efficiency and
effectiveness. Inspections include personnel interviews,
observations and analysis of documents. Areas of interest include mandated functions and applicable Accreditation standards. Inspectors also observe equipment, rules
and regulations, policies and procedures, and supervision
level.
ACCREDITATION
The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement
(CALEA) recognized the Lee
County Sheriff's Office with
Flagship Status in March
2010 for achieving and maintaining CALEA Accreditation
for 15 or more continuous
years. This status is an acknowledgement of agency achievements and expertise,
and assists others by providing “flagship examples.”
The inspection concludes with an exit conference between the inspector and the commander or supervisor to
provide an informal report of the findings and recommendations prior to the formal written report being prepared.
INTERNAL AFFAIRS
CALEA cited this agency as an extraordinary example of
excellence in public safety. There are 463 standards that
an agency must comply with to become accredited.
These standards reflect the best professional requirements and practices for a law enforcement agency.
It is the policy of the Sheriff that all allegations of member
misconduct be thoroughly and promptly investigated. The
Sheriff has assigned this investigative task to the Internal
Affairs Section. This process ensures valid allegations
are separated from false allegations. Thus, if necessary,
corrective measures may be implemented to ensure professional and ethical law enforcement.
CALEA accreditation strengthens accountability through
a continuum of standards that clearly define authority,
performance and responsibilities, provides direction to
personnel and informed management decisions. It is a
means for developing an agency’s relationship with the
community.
The goal is to instill a feeling of confidence and trust in the
Office of the Sheriff. IA received 30 cases in 2011, ranging from improper conduct, job knowledge and performance, neglect of duty, insubordination and unlawful conduct, resulting in 19 substantiated, 1 unsubstantiated and
10 unfounded charges.
Accreditation is voluntary. No laws mandate that an
agency become accredited.
26
Fallen Heroes
Deputy Richard Eva - #145
January 1, 1944 – February 12, 1972
On February 12, 1972, a trustee escaped from
the Lee County Jail. Deputy Eva conducted a
traffic stop on a suspected stolen vehicle and
recognized the driver as the escaped prisoner.
After placing the suspect under arrest, the prisoner began to resist and managed to get Deputy
Eva’s weapon and fatally shoot him.
Corporal Alfredo Banos - #410
November 8, 1948 – January 20, 2001
On January 20, 2001, Corporal Alfredo Banos
was responding as a back-up to a call where a
drunken man was armed with a machete and
threatening others. While en route, he was involved in a fatal accident on Corkscrew Road.
Deputy Michael Yahl - #313
December 30, 1951 – March 13, 1976
On March 13, 1976, several deputies responded
to a scene of a robbery in progress. A gun battle
ensued, and after firing had stopped, Deputy
Yahl approached the suspect’s vehicle when the
gunman suddenly rose up from the front seat
and fatally wounded him.
Deputy Michael Shostak - #569
February 4, 1973 – November 8, 2001
On October 25, 2001, Deputy Michael Shostak
was involved in a serious one-car motor vehicle
accident just prior to the end of his shift. Deputy Shostak succumbed to his crash-related
injuries on November 8, 2001.
Deputy Lynn Hall - #310
June 28, 1947 – April 11, 1979
Corporal Patrick Healey - #397
On April 11, 1979, a suspicious person was observed sitting in a vehicle after closing hours at
the county park on Fort Myers Beach. During
questioning, the suspect exited his vehicle and
began to flee. Deputy Hall was fatally shot after
tackling the suspect and becoming involved in a
struggle with the offender.
On May 7, 2004, after approaching a reckless
driver he had stopped, Corporal Patrick Healey
was involved in an altercation with the driver.
During the altercation, Corporal Healey suffered a heart attack and died May 13, 2004.
Corporal Ronnie Fewell - #203
Deputy Margena Silvia Nunez - #953
March 30, 1958 – March 16, 1983
November 14, 1961 – October 22, 2006
On March 16, 1983, Corporal Fewell was responding to a domestic disturbance where shots
had been fired. As he arrived at the location and
was exiting his vehicle, the suspect fired and
fatally shot Corporal Fewell.
On October 22, 2006, Deputy Nunez was conducting traffic control at the scene of a fatal
traffic accident. While directing traffic, a vehicle
being operated by an intoxicated driver struck
her patrol car and fatally injured her.
January 21, 1949 – May 13, 2004
27
Then & Now
28