Fort Myers police just secured a fresh round of funding for 2026, and it’s a big step up for safety across the city.
They’re going after gun violence and drug trafficking, upping their game on the roads, and putting more focus on officer training, especially in crisis response and de-escalation. All this comes thanks to a mix of state and federal grants, plus money from the city’s own budget. City Council gave the green light at their first meeting of the year on January 5.
Here’s what’s new: Council approved three major tech subscriptions, starting with a three-year, $868,000 contract renewal with SoundThinking Inc. for the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system. This setup covers four square miles of Fort Myers, tracking and pinpointing gunfire down to about 82 feet. When shots are fired, officers see real-time alerts, complete with exact coordinates and addresses, sent straight to dispatch, squad cars, and even their phones. And it’s more than just fast alerts; ShotSpotter gives prosecutors court-ready data, like how many shots were fired, the timing, and if more than one shooter was involved…