Authorities plan to use new technology to combat crime

The Fort Myers Police Department says it plans to implement more dash cameras, license plate readers and other technology to keep the public safe.

They are even experimenting with technology that could detect gunshots anywhere in the county.

This type of technology could provide critical cues in the moments after a crime like the deadly Zombicon and Club Blu shootings—both of which are unsolved.

Lee Undersheriff Carime Marceno and Fort Myers Police Chief Derrick Diggs laid out an ambitious crime fighting plan.

They say it’s all about utilizing new technology. FMPD already uses police body cameras, and Diggs says they have contributed to a decrease in violence—a 37 percent drop in homicides around the city.

FMPD has also unveiled a “cityview” camera project that involves adding cameras around the community, including 30 in Dunbar alone.

License plate readers would scan your plate around the city, too. Diggs wants to add them to poles, speed trailers and patrol cars to spot traffic issues and run plates through crime databases.

Finding where gunshots are fired could get easier too. Diggs plans to install a “shot spotter”, which can sense gunfire in milliseconds.

Chief Diggs says 80 percent gunfire in a community goes unreported. Each new camera site costs about $30,000, but FMPD has not yet released their budget plan for implementing the other technologies.