Rates of crime in the City of Fort Myers continued to decline in 2019 across all categories. That’s according to Fort Myers Police Department officials who touted the city’s latest crime report statistics at a press conference Wednesday.
Fort Myers Police Chief Derrick Diggs says the city’s crime rate has been on a downward trend for the past four years with a significant recent decrease in violent crime.
“The 2019 numbers show a significant drop in all crime categories, with violent crime down 16.5 percent and property crimes down 14.6 percent since 2018,” Diggs says.
Violent crimes include murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, while property crimes include burglary and car theft.
The data comes from the 2019 Uniform Crime Report recently released by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Chief Diggs attributes the lower crime rate statistics to techniques his department has employed like technological and intelligence-driven policing, community engagement, and youth-based programs such as the Police Athletic League.
He adds, “The entire city of Ft Myers is safer today than it was 4 years ago and we’ve noticed a tremendous reduction in crime in all our neighborhoods.”
