8 FMPD chief candidates go before public, panel

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Two among the eight candidates for chief of police in Fort Myers received the most recommendations from a citizens panel after day-long interviews Thursday.

Anthony Williams, the former chief of police of the Broward County School District, received three votes from the panel, as did Peter Newsham, the assistant chief of police of investigative services at the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. Williams resigned from his position in February, according to media reports. Four other candidates earned at least one vote.

Panelists did not recommend two candidates: Melvin Perry, Detective Bureau Captain of the Fort Myers Police Department, and Michael Reese, from Washington, D.C. Fort Myers City Manager Saeed Kazeemi will make the final decision and is not required to heed the panel’s recommendations.

Here is a look at the eight candidates:

• Luis Cabrera: Deputy Chief of Police with the Miami Police Department. Cabrera has been with Miami PD since 1989.
• Willie Dennard: Works with the Captain Administration Bureau at FMPD. He has been at FMPD since 1995 and previously served as lieutenant and sergeant with the Operations Bureau.
• Derrick Diggs: Former Chief of Police with the Toledo Police Department in Ohio. Diggs has not held the position since 2014 but served in the department since 1990, when he was police lieutenant.
• Dennis Eads: Current FMPD Interim Chief of Police. He’s been with the department since 1986. Eads previously served as the captain of the professional standards bureau and the investigation bureau. He was also a lieutenant and sergeant for the patrol division.
• Peter Newsham: Assistant Chief of Police of Investigative Services at the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. He’s been there since 1989 and has served as assistant chief police of the international affairs department, the regional operations command north and the office of professional responsibility.
• Melvin Perry: Captain of the Detective Bureau at FMPD. He’s been with the department since 1989 and previously served as captain of the detective bureau.
• Michael Reese: Deputy Chief of Police at District of Columbia Housing Authority Police Department. He previously served with the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.
• Anthony Williams: Former Chief of Police with Broward County School District. Before that, Williams worked with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. He worked there between 1993 and 2014.