FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Fort Myers was ranked among the safest cities in Florida according to a study by Safehome, a website which uses FBI crime statistics to rank safety in U.S. cities.
The website gave Fort Myers a ranking of 70.22, landing it at the 26th safest city in Florida. It says there were 744 violent crimes and 2,208 property crimes. The study says violent crimes are down by 7.9% while property crimes are down -3.4%.
Some in Fort Myers were reluctant to believe the study's findings. "I think it's not safe at all," said resident Tony Williams. "It can't be one of the safest cities with all these unsolved murders."
Others believe the city has made improvements in the last year. "Everything was a step in the right direction," said Russel Finkelson. "The cameras up, the more security, but we'll see how it goes."
The City of Fort Myers issued the following statement:
“We’re very proud that our City is included on this list,” said City Manager Saeed Kazemi. “Our citizens’ safety is a top priority, and the 2017 rankings indicate that we are moving forward to achieve our goals to protect our community and our residents.”