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Union president warns council of officer departures and calls for action as detective set to leave
Summary
Jerry Sanders, president of the local police union, told the council Detective Dave Dietz will leave Feb. 2 and said the department has lost about 17 officers since October; he urged the council to address pay and staffing to stop burnout.
During the Jan. 20 public comment period, Jerry Sanders, president of the local police union, urged the City of Fort Myers and its leaders to address police staffing and pay issues after a wave of departures.
Sanders detailed the experience and contributions of Detective Dave Dietz — hired in 2012 and sworn as an officer in 2014 — and said Dietz will begin work with the Cape Coral Police Department on Feb. 2. Sanders said Dietz had specialized training and had recovered more than $3.5 million for victims of economic crimes.
"We are going to burn them out if we do not get something done," Sanders said, urging the council and city managers to speak to officers and address retention and compensation questions. He said the department had experienced roughly 17 departures since October, including sworn officers and dispatchers, and warned those losses would reduce public safety capacity and shift training burdens to remaining staff.
The remarks were made during non‑agenda public comment; council members acknowledged the concerns but no new formal action was taken at the meeting. City staff and the mayor were urged to meet with union leadership and review staffing and budget options outside the public comment record.
