FORT MYERS, Fla. — After 23 years of working for the Fort Myers Police Department, Chief Jason Fields is stepping into his new role and celebration is marking the event, after a nearly year-long search.
Reaching this point took some "starts and stops." The city manager suggested a different finalist twice but the city council rejected the manager's choice twice. Then, of the four finalists, the council approved the newly-chosen Jason Fields as the next police chief.
"I feel good about it. I was the one who offered him up as the chief and council supported it," says Fort Myers City Councilor, Fred Burson.
The department agrees the late Chief Derrick Diggs, who died in February after a battle with cancer, left a strong legacy to try and follow. Chief Fields says he's eager to step in. "So I want to learn from what worked, and continue to do those things and improve upon that and what didn't work, learn from that to not repeat that."
Where will the new chief focus? He says he has meetings planned throughout the next couple of days to coordinate his "plan of attack."
These include leadership and structural changes within the department and also a focus on safety, not just from cases of violent crime within Fort Myers but for what happens on the roads.
"We've got too many people driving recklessly, getting hurt, serious bodily injuries, getting killed in car crashes that are pretty much necessary," says Chief Fields.
Many people we spoke with off-camera say Chief Fields is well respected within the department, and outside in the neighborhoods, where it matters.
Councilor Burson adds, "In the time that he's been with the police department, he's held many positions of leadership in various departments in agencies, and he's been successful at every one of them, so it'll be good."
Now Chief Fields says that Thursday will mark day one on the job and he's looking to "turn the department into a dynasty."
