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Ft. Myers City Council accepts new reccomendations from Freeh Report

Posted at 11:34 PM, Sep 04, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-04 23:34:29-04

The Ft. Myers City Council voted to accept a new round of recommendations from the Freeh Report.

The city hired the consulting firm after a Justice Department report found widespread officer misconduct, in the Ft. Myers Police Department including witness tampering and botched investigations.
 
A representative from the firm updated council on some of its other findings.
They include FMPD struggling to allocate its resources, under staffing and low officer pay.
It also says several supervisor and call takers positions remain vacant.
 
Two of the officers implicated by the justice department for misconduct remain on paid administrative leave, and will likely stay on paid leave.
 
"I think that's the obligation we have, to maintain that under the circumstances, this is a jurisdictional issue, the city has no jurisdiction,” said Mayor Randy Henderson
 
Mayor Henderson says many of the officer vacancies are the result of early retirements during the recession.
 
He says the city has more funding allotted to fill those positions.