Hours to change at Lee Sheriff’s district offices tonight
Beginning Monday, May 24, 2010, new hours will take effect for the Bravo and Charlie District Offices of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. The offices are the first of five to go to a Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. availability for public walk-ins. After hours and on weekends, citizens will be able to use an intercom phone connection to the Sheriff’s Office call takers at the dispatch center, should they need a deputy to meet them at the office. The changes will not impact road patrol response or services, which are already coordinated through 9-1-1 dispatch at the headquarters facility. Deputies will continue to operate and utilize the District Offices and provide the same service as in the past.
The changes come as a cost saving measure in light of the economic challenges facing local government. The estimated savings by reducing the hours and reallocating the civilian personnel assigned to the districts is more than a Million dollars a year. A review of the services offered at night and on weekends revealed significantly less foot traffic and incoming calls by citizens, which could be redirected and absorbed along with other clerical duties.
The Bravo District Office is located at 1301 Homestead Road in Lehigh Acres. The Charlie District Office is located at 15650 Pine Ridge Road, Fort Myers.