New chief same story

The story is the same, we have replaced one naive chief with another. Chief Baker, what are you thinking? We are the City of Ft Myers police department and not the Dunbar police department. You have all but given the citizens of Dunbar the police department! Instead of catering to the needs of Dunbar, why don't you address the issues of your already understaffed and overworked police officers.

This "transparent" police department you speak of is just going to destroy the already non-existant morale. By rewarding a "select" few you are not going to solve our agencies problems. This agency needs a cop to lead us, not a politician. I am aware that in any city agency you have to balance politics with work, but you have gone above and beyond that.

We have a great unit of police officers. Why do we constantly put them through these trials. We are the only agency that loses so many officers to other agencies. The reason is blatantly clear, WE DO NOT CARE OR TAKE CARE OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS!. This attitude of "if you don't like it leave" has to change.

I don't want to have to compare us to Lee County Sheriffs Office but it is necessary. The grass is never greener at different agencies but their morale is good and they admire their Sheriff because he is a cop and goes to bat for his deputies. We do not have that same respect for you. Sheriff Scott does not stand down and let people bad mouth his agency. We need a chief that is going to defend his officers and agency and not just appeal to a small segment of our city.

I know that hiding behind a screen is not ideal, but we all know what happens to people who let their feelings be known.

Do your job, don't screw up intentionaly, be a team player and you'll be OK. I don't think being transparent is intended to screw cops, it's a good tool to divert the media's attention away from us for a change. Hilton never communicated with the media which makes it appear like we had something to hide. The media will find out one way or another about what happened. Mike Scott does the same thing. just read the news. Every other day there is some news about a deputy or a correction deputy. Just this week alone they mentioned deputies fired and disciplined. One Capt left under investigation of sexual harrasment, another suspended a week WITHOUT pay for an unauthorized pursuit of a motorcycle, last week another one arrested for burglary, I can keep going or just look it up yourself. Those 2 deputies weren't framed but intentionaly scewed up. So how do you explain the difference with the punishment, again read the articles. Please stop blaming morale on everything the department does. LCSO has the same issues we have but on a bigger scale, just read their LEO Affairs posts. You make it sound like you know what's going on at LCSO as if you work there. You'll never know what goes on in another agency unless you work there. Look at the big picture, change is good. Baker is trying to improve the image of the agency and you would too if you were in charge, wouldn't you?? Not every change or new idea is a negative unless YOU make it out to be. Incidents like Masiero and Young are hard to keep from the media, especially when the state attorney and another agency is involved in the arrest. There are more police supporters out there than Anti-police. Stop being part of the problem and become a solution. Stop looking at every little thing and look at the big picture. I agree that not everything should make the news but loot at it as reverse psychology.

LCSo ain't all that. trust me I have friends who work there

Guest, you talk about being a team player, what has the administration done to be team players? Twelve hour shift plan where there was supposed to be eighteen people on a squad , I remember that’s how it was presented to city council. Reality is there’s nine cops on any given squad if your lucky, vehicles breaking down left and right , I’m sure that administration will blame it all on road patrol, street cops not getting a lunch or dinner breaks, I think we’re allowed that in Labor laws, cops having to stay over on calls , but being told you must flex the time out no overtime, another violation of law. There’s no money for street cops salaries, no overtime money for a cop that has to stay over on a call, but yet there’s money for special operations, and task force details.Let's not mention the safety hazard of young cops going to countless priority one calls solo! Cops having to search around for computers and vehicles essential tools to do the job , yet can somebody explain to me why street cops are sharing computers, when there’s about fifty computers laying on the second floor. Let’s not even get into the worthless union we have, its amazing to me that when cops need representation they go to cops they trust ,because they don’t trust any union board members! Money well spent , NOTTTTTTTTT! Team Playing at its finest.

Transparency! I did not see Chief Baker releasing any reports or information through Shelly Flynn when the media questioned him about his gay head bashing that occurred in Centennial park ! I see transparency only applies to the average Joe and Jane street cop! He wants to be transparent then start with yourself! It’s called trickle down police ethics! The real kicker is these MDS Policies and Procedures! I mean this greeting policy is the funniest thing I’ve ever read! I guess some administrators were sharing the bong with Micheal Phelps when they came up with this joke. The greeting will be used during all consensual and non-consensual encounters with the public! Really ALL? Administration can’t think of any situation where a formal greeting might be impossible? Amazing! The real amazing thing is the guy in charge of sending these policies out, and threatens to write you and your supervisor up for failure to review in a timely fashion! I still haven’t read anywhere in my MDS policies and procedures where it allows you to have your girlfriend riding around with you in your unmarked patrol vehicle for about a month and a half. Then a racial and sexual harassment policy comes out by the guy who racially harassed the only black female detective in the whole police department for about two years! Transparency ,and Policies and Procedures , here’s a suggestion to Chief Baker and some of his Kool-Aide drinkers , Read them yourself and start following your own rules , and lead by example! To officer Reynolds , welcome back to the road , the City of Ft. Myers, Fl just became a lot safer place with you back on the road! Hear No Evil , See No Evil! True That!

ANOTHER EXCELLENT POST BY 40 CAL :!:

Im gonna go out on a limb and say that "guest" recently got promoted. As was said " Do as I say not as I do." Myself and the other hardworking police officers are not the problem. Wake up guest! Explain to me why we lose so many people every year? They can't hack being a cop in Ft Myers? NO... They are tired of being outcasts in a job they had a desire to do, and the worst part it is by our own administration.

"Don't screw up and you will be fine"? OK Mother Teresa, I guess you must live a charmed (i.e. favored) life. Everything I got has been by my own work and not sucking up for the sake of advancement. If you believe we are in a better day and time, you need some medication.