Frequently- Asked Questions

TIP:  To find a particular topic fast, from your browser menu select:
Edit
Find

Then type the word you are looking for.

1. Why does it take longer for deputies to respond to some calls than to others?
2. Why don't I see more deputies patrolling my neighborhood?
3. Why do the 911 operators ask so many questions when I call?
4. We have a big traffic problem in our neighborhood. What can be done about it?
5. We have drug houses and dealers in our neighborhood. What can be done about it?
6. Can I call the Sheriff’s Office to report a problem and still remain anonymous?
7. Is there a gang problem in Lee County?
8. If I want to report something that is not an emergency, do I call 911 or another number?
9. Can I make a police report over the phone or does a deputy have to come to my house?
10. Is there a waiting period before I can report someone missing?
11. What is the Sheriff’s Office doing about getting drunk drivers off the roads?
12. Can I use 911 on my car phone to report drunk drivers?
13. How can I find out if someone is in jail or when someone can have visitors at the jail?
14. How can I get a copy of a police report?
15. I was the victim of a crime. How do I find out the status of the investigation?
16. How do I get a concealed weapons permit and can I carry a firearm in my vehicle?
17. Can a Deputy open my car if I have locked my keys inside?
18. I have received various phone calls from people representing themselves as police officers and asking for donations.  Are they really police officers?
19. Does the Sheriff's Office do fingerprinting and when can I have it done?
20. How can I get more involved with the Sheriff’s Office and my community?
21. How can I file a complaint about a member of the Sheriff's Office?
22. I found my stolen property in a pawn shop. How can I get it back? 

 

---

1.  Why does it take longer for deputies to respond to some calls than to others?

Response times are affected by several variables:

• The time of day the call is received;
• The sheer volume of calls at a given moment;
• The number of deputies needed at a given call;
• The urgency of the call.

All requests for law enforcement services are assigned a priority based on the seriousness of the incident and the potential for injury or damage to property. At times, calls of less urgent nature must be delayed so deputies can respond immediately to emergencies.

At times, citizens wonder why it seemed to take a long time for the deputies to arrive on the scene of a crime such as a robbery that just occurred where the perpetrator is making a getaway. The reason for this delay is that deputies are:

• Working to cut off escape routes,

• Securing perimeters of the area for K-9 tracking,

• Stopping cars leaving the area, and

• Looking around streets and structures in an attempt to catch the perpetrator on the run.

The urgency of this type of call is not in responding to the scene as much as it is to trap and catch the fleeing suspect.

The Sheriff’s Office has always been able to achieve quicker than average response time to priority calls, and in recent years that time has even been even faster. The Sheriff’s Office’s average response time is now comparable to that of Lee County EMS which boasts an en route response time of six to six and one-half minutes. Since our officers are community based and deployed in relatively small geographic patrol zones, deputies are often in the neighborhood or area of a dispatched call when they receive the call and response time is literally immediate.

We thank you for your patience and understanding if you happen to call during one of those situations when the responding deputy is delayed in responding to your call.

Back to Top

---

2.  Why don't I see more deputies patrolling my neighborhood?

At any given moment in the day or night, there are many more officers in your community than you see. The deputies driving marked Sheriff’s patrol cars are only some of the officers in your neighborhood. There are also many officers that you may not see or readily notice, such as:

• Plain-clothes detectives,
• Undercover officers,
• K-9 officers,
• School-based resource officers,
• Marine patrol deputies,
• Aviation pilots,
• Youth gang officers,
• Traffic enforcement deputies,
• Bicycle patrol officers, auxiliary deputies,
• Agriculture officers,
• Environmental crimes deputies, and
• Supervisors.

In addition, uniformed patrol officers that are easily identified are often in your neighborhoods at times that you would not necessarily see them, such as peak times of criminal activity which may be when you are at work or asleep. You may have even noticed that one of our deputies lives in your neighborhood and has their marked patrol car parked in the driveway when they are home. That is one of the main reasons that the Sheriff initiated the take-home car policy. High visibility and officer presence are proven to have a positive affect on criminal activity and traffic violations in a community. And if for some reason a neighborhood suddenly begins to experience an increase in crime or becomes the victim of a particularly specific crime trend, specialized units and officers are deployed to deal with that problem until the peace of the neighborhood is restored.

Just because you don’t always see deputies in your neighborhood doesn’t mean that they are not there. If you don’t see deputies patrolling your neighborhood very often, it could be an indication that you live in a safe and relatively crime-free neighborhood.

Back to Top

---

3.  Why do the 911 operators ask so many questions when I call?

Call takers are trained to get as much information as possible to best determine the nature of the problem and its seriousness. For the safety of the community and the officers, it is critical that the call taker gets as much information as possible from the caller. On emergency calls, the deputy is most often already en route to the scene while the call taker is still gathering additional information from the caller. That information is being radioed to the responding officer while he or she is driving to the scene.

We thank you for your cooperation in answering the questions necessary for the responding deputy(s) to help you the best they can.

Back to Top

---

4.  We have a big traffic problem in our neighborhood. What can be done about it?

This has been the most common question asked of the Sheriff and he has listened to the citizens’ concerns and responded by making traffic enforcement a priority. In addition to our Traffic Unit, which concentrates specifically on traffic enforcement, the Sheriff has directed all road patrol deputies to step up traffic enforcement.

Since making traffic enforcement a priority:

• Sheriff’s deputies have doubled the amount of citations and written traffic warnings issued on Lee County roads from about 20,000 per year in previous years to 40,000 in 1999.

• In the year 2000, 53,897 citations and written warnings were issued.

• This year’s figures through May 31, 2001 count 32,449 citations and written warnings issued.

Traffic violations lead to traffic crashes, personal injury, and property damage, so thank you for bringing your concerns for safety to the Sheriff’s attention. If you have specific traffic problems in your area, you may contact our Traffic Unit at 477-1000.

Together we are making tremendous progress in addressing traffic violators in all communities.

Back to Top

---

5.  We have drug houses and dealers in our neighborhood. What can be done about it?

Through community involvement and active law enforcement community policing efforts, we are seeing improvement in local neighborhoods. You can help by doing the following.

• Report drug activity through:
  • CrimeStoppers at 332-5555 or 1-800-780-TIPS,
  • The Main Sheriff's Office at 477-1000.
• Give as much information as possible about the drug activity including:
  • Detailed descriptions of people and cars involved,
  • License tag numbers of involved vehicles,
  • Addresses related to the activity.

If you have reported a drug problem, you can follow up by calling your local District Substation for information.

Narcotics dealing is a problem for every jurisdiction around the country. Together with our community’s help, the Sheriff’s Office is making great strides in the fight to clear our neighborhoods of drugs and drug dealers. Contact the Sheriff’s Office crime prevention practitioner in your area at 477-1000 to see how you can get involved in the community policing effort in your neighborhood.

Back to Top

---

6.  Can I call the Sheriff’s Office to report a problem and still remain anonymous?

Yes you can. There is no requirement to give your name and address when making a call to the Sheriff’s Office. However, it is extremely helpful if the responding deputy has someone to contact either in person or by phone to get more specific information to effectively address the problem.

Many times deputies respond to an anonymous call about an incident and either cannot find the origin of the problem with the information given or the situation changes prior to their arrival but they have no way of knowing it. This can result in frustrated deputies and the citizen feeling that the Sheriff’s Office didn’t do anything about their call.

We realize that in some circumstances, a person may not want neighbors to know they have called the police and they don’t want an officer to come to their door. However, something as simple as a phone number by which to reach the complainant can make a significant difference in whether or not a situation is corrected or goes undiscovered or unidentified. You merely inform the call taker that you do not wish to be contacted in person but that the officer may call you if they need more information.

Back to Top

---

7.  Is there a gang problem in Lee County?

There is a presence of youth gangs in Lee County, but to say there is a gang problem would be premature. As early as 1992, long before there was any real sign of gang activity in Lee County, the Sheriff began researching the insurgence of youth gangs in Dade, Broward, and Collier Counties. In studying the cycle of youth gang developments in those areas, we learned what to look for and how to interrupt the development of youth gangs in Lee County. So far, it has worked.

The Sheriff instituted a gang unit several years ago and trained the school resource officers in youth gang awareness and intervention. To date, the Sheriff’s Office gang unit has identified only about 550 associates of gangs or potential gang members in Lee County. Considering that there are about 52,000 students registered in Lee County schools, the number of associated gang members is very small. We contribute that small number to the aggressive efforts of Sheriff’s Office members in dealing with gang-related matters at the very first sign of activity.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is also a member of MAGTAF, a multi agency gang task force dedicated to the identification and eradication of youth gangs. Through MAGTAF, information about gang members from other areas is shared and known gang members from other areas that surround Lee County are identified and targeted for prosecution before they have a chance to set up shop in Lee County.

Youth gang intervention and eradication is a collaborative effort between the Sheriff’s Office and the community. If you see graffiti in your neighborhood or any sign of gang-related activity, contact our gang unit at 477-1000. Together we can keep up the pressure and keep down the development of youth gangs in your neighborhood and all of Lee County.

Back to Top

---

8.  If I want to report something that is not an emergency, do I call 911 or another number?

Call 911 for anything related to an emergency such as:		Call 477-1000 for all non-emergency calls such as:
A crime that is occurring now, Car crash, Drunk driver.		Past-occurred offenses, Reporting traffic concerns, Other non-urgent requests for service.

Back to Top

---

9.  Can I make a police report over the phone or does a deputy have to come to my house?

Some reports can be taken over the phone by the Alternative Response Officer (ARO). The person answering your call will determine if your report can be handled by the ARO. If so, you will be asked if you would like your call to be handled this way. If you would rather have a deputy come to your house, simply tell the call taker that you would like to see a deputy and an officer will come to your house as soon as possible.

Back to Top

---

10. Is there a waiting period before I can report someone missing?

This is a common misperception. The answer is no. The moment you are concerned about a person’s whereabouts is the time to call. You can make a missing person report any time you realize someone is missing.

Back to Top

---

11. What is the Sheriff’s Office doing about getting drunk drivers off the roads?

D.U.I. enforcement has always been a paramount issue for the Sheriff’s Office. Many years ago, the Sheriff assigned officers to a special D.U.I enforcement squad that later led to the development of a full-service traffic enforcement unit. The Sheriff also developed important partnerships with community action groups such as Mother Against Drunk Drivers (M.A.D.D.) for the purposes of enhancing D.U.I. interdiction, enforcement, education, and legislative reform. The Sheriff has also applied for and received grant funds in order to purchase the best equipment and supplies needed to carry out the objective of getting drunk drivers off of the roads of Lee County.

The Sheriff’s Office organizes and participates in numerous D.U.I. interdiction operations that include officers from surrounding agencies such as the Fort Myers Police, Cape Coral Police, and Highway Patrol to name just a few. The operations are carried out all over Lee County with their locations being kept secret until the night of the operation. This method has proven to be extremely effective in combating drunk driving.

As you can see, a person who decides to drink and drive in Lee County is making a foolish decision. We are out there in force looking for them and we won’t stop looking until we get them off the roads!

Back to Top

---

12. Can I use 911 on my car phone to report drunk drivers?

Yes. Calls to 911 on cellular phones are free. However, please do not try to pursue a drunk driver or place yourself in any danger. Keep a safe distance from the suspected drunk driver. When you call 9-1-1, you will be asked for a description of the car, its location and direction. The Sheriff’s Office will do the rest.

Back to Top

---

13. How can I find out if someone is in jail or when someone can have visitors at the jail?

In the navigation bar at the top, select Arrests & Inmates, then select Search Lee County Arrests. Type all or the first part of a last name in the appropriate box and/or complete some of the other search boxes, then click the Search button to view the results and click links within those results to see additional details like visitation schedules. If you already know the inmate's cell information, you can select Arrests & Inmates from the main navigation, then select Visiting Inmates to view the visitation schedule and rules. Or call the Lee County Jail booking office at 239-477-1500.

Back to Top

---

14. How can I get a copy of a police report?

You must wait three working days for a police report to become available. Then call the Sheriff's Records Division between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at 477-1000 to request a copy.

• Provide the Records Division with the case number (CFS#).

• If you do not have a case number, provide the location of the incident, date and any victim or suspect information.

• There is a $.15 per page copy charge ($.20 per page for two-sided copies).

• You may pick up the report when it’s ready or send a self-addressed, stamped envelope along with the case number to have it mailed to you.

Background checks are also available through the records section for a fee of $5.00.

Back to Top

---

15. I was the victim of a crime. How do I find out the status of the investigation?

Call the District Substation of the deputy who took the report. Please have your case number available, if possible.  Click here for phone numbers.

Back to Top

---

16. How do I get a concealed weapons permit and can I carry a firearm in my vehicle?

You may pick up a concealed weapons permit packet at any District Substation or from the Desk Officer at the Sheriff's Office Headquarters at 14750 Six Mile Cypress Parkway in Fort Myers. Any questions relating to firearms in the State of Florida are answered in the Florida Firearms Guide. A copy of the laws relating to firearms is included in each concealed weapons application packet.

Back to Top

---

17. Can a deputy open my car if I have locked my keys inside?

Because of the potential for damage to vehicles, the Sheriff's Office does not open locked vehicles. A locksmith is your best alternative. Check the listing under "locksmith" in the yellow pages of your local telephone book. If you are a member of an automobile association such as AAA, there is often a lock-out service available through your membership.

If a child is locked inside the vehicle, call 911. The Sheriff's Office and the Fire Department will respond and will get the child out of the car.

Back to Top

---

18. I have received various phone calls from people representing themselves as police officers and asking for donations. Are they really police officers?

Police officers and deputies in Lee County do not solicit funds over the telephone nor does the Sheriff’s Office receive any funds at all from any other organization that conducts phone solicitations. If you are not familiar with an organization calling you and asking for a donation, you may wish to ask the caller to send you information on the charity and how they disburse their funds. And NEVER give your credit card number to anyone that calls you over the phone.

Back to Top

---

19. Does the Sheriff's Office do fingerprinting and when can I have it done?

Yes. There is a $5.00 charge for fingerprinting. To have this done you must:

• Bring your own fingerprint card,
• Have the card filled out in black ink, and
• Bring a valid picture ID.

Your local district substation has specific hours designated for fingerprinting. Please see the schedule below.

Fingerprinting/Fingerabdrücke/Huellas Digitales
Headquarters das Hauptbüro La Officina Principal 14750 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy Fort Myers	Mon OR Fri Mo oder Fr lunes o viernes	8 am-4 pm
Your District Sheriff's Office dein Bezirksbüro La Oficina en su distrito	Mon-Fri Mo - Fr lunes-viernes	12 pm-4 pm
	Sat-Sun Sa -So sab-dom	8 am-4 pm

Back to Top

---

20. How can I get more involved with the Sheriff’s Office and my community?

There are several ways to become involved with the Sheriff’s Office as a representative of your community. One way is to attend one of the community-based classes offered by the Sheriff’s Office. The Community Policing class is just one example of courses offered by the Sheriff’s Office for community members. You may also inquire about joining one of the volunteer units within the Sheriff’s Office such as the V.O.I.C.E. unit, Mounted Patrol unit, Auxiliary Deputy unit, and the Explorer Post. One of the most important things that anyone can do for their community is to join their Neighborhood Watch group. To find or start an active Neighborhood Watch group in your area or for help in learning about other community-based programs or volunteer opportunities, contact our crime prevention office at 477-1000.

Back to Top

---

21. How can I file a complaint about a member of the Sheriff's Office?

The Lee County Sheriff's Office will investigate any and all complaints of misconduct involving agency personnel.  You may file such a complaint through any member of the Sheriff's Office:

• In person at any Sheriff's Office facility;
• By telephoning any Sheriff's Office facility;
• By e-mailing a complaint to the Internal Affairs office here.
• By sending a complaint through regular mail.

While you may remain anonymous, we can do a more thorough and complete investigation of the allegations if you provide your name and phone number so we may contact you for further information about your concerns.

Every effort will be made to provide you with an agreeable atmosphere in which you can present your complaint and to address your concerns.

Back to Top

22. I found my stolen property in a pawn shop.  How can I get it back?

Florida courts have ruled that law enforcement may no longer recover stolen property from pawnshops and return it to crime victims without providing the broker an opportunity of a hearing.  Please review our Guide to Rights and Remedies of the Florida State Pawnbroking Act

Back to Top