On Friday, May 10, 2013 the Fort Myers Police Department honored several employees at a monthly award ceremony. FMPD strives every day to not only protect and serve the residents of the City of Fort Myers, but to make it a better place to live. “It is our policy to recognize employees of exemplary performance of their duties” said Chief Baker. “We appreciate their heroics and the hard work that these men and women put in each day.”
Detective Vincent Doyle was honored for his involvement with the successful prosecution of a murder suspect. Detective Doyle worked diligently to arrest the suspect for second degree murder within a week of the homicide. The trial was recently scheduled and the key witness for the prosecution was reluctant to testify. Without this testimony, a murderer would have been allowed to leave the courtroom as a free person. The lead prosecutor for the case made numerous attempts to get the witness involved but was unsuccessful. He contacted Detective Doyle and explained the situation to him. Detective Doyle was able to locate the witness and reassure him about the importance of testifying. Detective Doyle was able to gain his trust and cooperation, and ultimately drove him to and from court for trial. As a result of Detective Doyle’s efforts, the suspect was successfully prosecuted. Detective Doyle was honored for his hard work ethic and for always going the extra mile to ensure each case he works is not complete until it is successfully prosecuted.
An undercover detective was nominated for his outstanding performance as the lead investigator on a drug roundup operation. The detective targeted drug dealers that frequent the Palm Beach Boulevard corridor. Detectives had intelligence that several businesses along the stretch were locations that the drug dealers used to facilitate their crimes. The investigation lasted for seven months and the result was 22 drug dealers receiving multiple charges for sale of cocaine or heroin. Furthermore, eight of the suspects had lengthy criminal histories involving drugs and violence. In addition, several businesses were served with nuisance abatement and they remain under investigation. The detective is to be commended for his performance, personal drive and the hard work that went into the case.
Detective Jimmy Hernandez and Officer Constant Brown were honored for arresting a burglary suspect. Recently the two investigated a residential burglary. The investigation revealed that an unknown person pried open a window and entered the home. Detective Hernandez and Officer Brown meticulously processed the entire crime scene. As a result, they lifted numerous latent prints. The prints were entered into a database and identified as belonging to a particular suspect. The suspect was subsequently arrested and charged with burglary. The effort and teamwork exhibited by Detective Hernandez and Officer Brown were commended.
Community Service Aide Sarah Gallegos was honored for her efforts that led to a burglary arrest. CSA Gallegos responded to a local church located within the City. The investigation revealed that an unknown person smashed in an office window on the east side of the building to gain entry. This was the second time the church had been burglarized in recent months.
CSA Gallegos meticulously processed the crime scene which included multiple rooms. She recovered latent prints from the scene and submitted them to the Fort Myers Police Crime Scene Unit for comparison. The Crime Scene Unit identified a suspect from the prints and he was subsequently arrested and charged with Burglary. CSA Gallegos was commended for her professionalism and dedication to the Fort Myers Police Department and the Citizens of Fort Myers.
Shelly Flynn Public Information Officer 239-321-7721