One of the highest-ranking officials in the Fort Myers Police Department quit his job. Now, he’s blaming Chief Diggs and questioning the department’s ethics. The Fort Myers Police Department Inspector general turned in his resignation which took effect at 5 p.m. on Friday. In his letter of resignation, the man, Donald Oswald, says Fort Myers […]
Hadley argued that Diggs did not violate any city policy in effect at the time the purchasing card, or P-card, charges accrued and had no official notice that his actions were inconsistent with his public responsibilities. My office determined that the major issue we needed to prove was the element concerning corrupt intent, Hadley said.
Last summer, the commission found there was probable cause to believe Diggs had violated state ethics laws.
The panel voted to send the case to the state Department of Administrative Hearings, or DOAH, for trial. But Hadley convinced the administrative law judge to kick the case back to the commission because she concluded there was not enough evidence to send the matter to trial.
Fort Myers resident critical of Chief Diggs warns Columbus mayor of transparency issues
Published: April 29, 2021 6:16 PM EDT
Updated: April 29, 2021 8:48 PM EDT
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Fort Myers police Chief Derrick Diggs wants the top police job in Columbus, Ohio.
According to his resume, he’s selling himself as someone who builds trust and transparency while also improving community engagement with the police.
But his track record on transparency could hinder him.
And one outspoken Fort Myers resident is letting the mayor of Columbus know.
Henry Jackson, the father of Fort Myers police Officer Jason Jackson, emailed the mayor of Columbus to warn him of the 4-year scandal that kept his son off the force.
The constant calls for police reform and repeated attempts to discredit FDLE Uniform Crime Reporting statistics in Fort Myers are disheartening to those of us who have worked directly with the Fort Myers Police Department and witnessed its transformation firsthand. Modern policing reforms were already in place in Fort Myers prior to the national debate on use of force. Chief Derrick Diggs implemented progressive policing strategies, resulting in a 51% decrease in violent crime.
FMPD is fully compliant with Campaign Zero’s #8Can’tWait policies to bring immediate change to police departments. Policies include mandatory de-escalation techniques to eliminate the need to use force, adoption of the use of force continuum, bans on chokeholds and strangleholds, bans on shooting at moving vehicles, and requires warning before shooting. Officers must exhaust all alternatives prior to use of deadly force.
Diggs highlights success with Fort Myers in application
In his application, Diggs said his tenure in Fort Myers has parallels to some of the challenges in the Columbus Police Department.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther was quoted by the Associated Press earlier this month as saying he wants to hire a candidate from outside the city force, which has been wracked by several controversies over allegations of racism and police brutality.
Former Chief Thomas Quinlan was demoted to a deputy position after the mayor said Quinlan had lost the public trust by failing to implement reforms. Ginther declined to appoint him as permanent chief following a probationary appointment.