About the Department
About the Department
Responsibilities
The Sanibel Police Department patrols the Island and surrounding waterways. The Department responds to a variety of citizen needs including emergency calls, criminal complaints, traffic problems, alligator and other animal complaints. To protect residents and the Island, the Department is proactive, participating in the DARE and School Resource Officer programs, encouraging Neighborhood Watch efforts, and taking part in local and regional efforts to prevent gang activity, human trafficking, and other crime. Additionally, the Department is responsible for traffic and parking enforcement for the City of Sanibel. Emergency Management, which is responsible for the City's response during a hurricane or other natural disaster, is a division of the Sanibel Police Department.
2008 Goals
Current goals of the Sanibel Police Department include the following:
-Attend training schools that educate personnel with the necessary skills in the following areas: communication in Spanish, identity theft, supervisory development, environmental protection, and school safety
-Continue environmental patrols and awareness/educational campaigns.
-Increase and improve security at the Lighthouse Beach and Fishing Pier Parks.
-Maintain staffing levels for maximum effectiveness, efficiency, and public safety.
-Maintain an effective code enforcement response.
-Continue review of changes to laws and updating of department policy.
2007 Accomplishments
Recent Accomplishments of the Sanibel Police Department include the following:
-Completed Positron Implementation
-Increased dispatch capabilities, reporting capabilities, and officer field reporting efficiency.
-Modernized parking machines
-Improved efficiency and customer service by accepting credit cards.
-Contributed to Environmental Handbook
-Quick reference guide to environmental laws and codes specific to Sanibel.
-Developed training manual for police aides, parking specialists, communications, and police officer candidates.
-Completed State of Florida Emergency Management Grant.
-Awarded matching State grant for an emergency mobile communications center in the amount of $50,000. This was a competitive grant and the proceeds were used to improve emergency communications during and after a disaster by developing a mobile communications center.
-Participated in City-wide NIMS training
-Federally mandated emergency management training that meets requirements for FEMA funding.
-Increased DUI/Sobriety Checkpoints
-Increased participation in cooperation with other agencies to address the county-wide safety concerns.
-Ranked in the top ten for an EMPA Grant to assist in the development of Emergency Management comprehensive all hazards plan.
-Continued involvement with the Lee County Marine Law Enforcement Task Force
- This multi-agency task force is dedicated to addressing all marine concerns including human trafficking, environmental law, boating law, and regulation throughout the waters of Lee County.
Upcoming Challenges
The Police Department is working to address several challenges. One of the most significant challenges is keeping up with current technology such as creating GIS based statistics for mapping crime events without having more staff power dedicated to management information. The newly implemented Positron system, as well as several other technologies, create the need for a dedicated MIS technician assigned to the system. Another challenge facing the Police Department is employee turnover. The high rate of turnover continues to stress the Department's ability to assign personnel to essential functions. In addition to the understaffing issue, much of the administration staff time is dedicated to the hiring process, which takes away from staff's ability to complete other necessary assignments.
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