FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Fort Myers Police Department is cracking down on people who illegally carry firearms. Undercover vice and uniformed patrol removed 16-guns from city streets for the month of August. Operation Safe Neighborhood is a proactive approach to reduce crime and improve quality of life in the City of Fort Myers. The goal of the task force is to identify and arrest people that commit violent crimes and to arrest individuals who illegally possess firearms. In addition to gun interdiction the directed patrols have had positive results:

1020 Citizen Contacts

459 Traffic Stops

333 Traffic Tickets

51 Arrests

44 Felony Charges

Chief Doug Baker unveiled the operation to several community leaders last year and says the anticrime effort couldn't be possible without a partnership with the community. "The unit is enhanced by intelligence information from concerned citizens and informants. Tipsters can remain anonymous. Every illegal gun taken off our streets is one less gun that can be used against an innocent citizen, gun down an officer or carelessly end up in the hands of a child." So far in 2010 police have removed 207 guns from City streets.