Some residents want Lehigh Acres to become an incorporated city

Elaine and Bob Paolella said they are fed up with all of the violence in Lehigh Acres.

“Seems like there’s some random shooting here all the time,” Bob said. “It’s unpredictable.”

They spend half the year in Chicago and the other half in Lehigh Acres.

“Unfortunately, you get used to it,” Elaine said. “I tend to think, I don’t know where we are anymore. Are we in Chicago or Lehigh — that’s kind of the same news all the time.”

Just this past weekend, Deputies responded to a deadly shooting on Homer Ave. The killer is still on the loose.

It is one of 15 shootings this year.

Between 2016 to 2017, there were 12 incidents of homicides and manslaughter, which was double from the previous year. It has also been less safe for businesses. Business burglaries have increased by 65 percent.

But some neighbors don’t think the issue is something the Lee County Sheriff’s Office can fix.

“I think the sheriff has been doing a great job,” Elaine said. “I don’t know how they can make it much safer.”

That is why they said it is time for Lehigh Acres to become an incorporated city.

“If you were Inc., we would have our own mayor, our own city council,” Bob said. “They would make the rules on zoning.”

“I would think we would try to get Inc. and have better codes for housing, for sure,” Elaine  said. “People have driveways and lawns upgrade the neighborhood.”

County Officials said it remains focused on redevelopment projects in Lehigh Acres. But Elaine and Bob said they still want to see more change.

“Someone could be going down the street right now, start shooting out the window,” Bob said. “There’s nothing you can do about it.”