Acting Major Jason Fields was appointed Fort Myers Police Chief Monday evening at the City Council meeting.

Fields, who has 23 years experience and was the current captain/acting major at the department, was approved by a 6-1 vote.

Dates and times of his official swearing in ceremony have not yet been scheduled.

“We are confident that Fort Myers has a top-notch police force, which is why we have taken this task extremely seriously,” City Manager Marty Lawing said previously. “While we had a great list of qualified candidates, we focused on highly skilled professionals whose experience will be instrumental in leading the department forward. Additionally, it’s important that the new chief is committed to engage deeply and often with the community that we all serve.”

Fields was among a final slate of candiates including Victor Medico, a current captain at the Fort Myers Police Department, and three external candidates: Richard Bash, former deputy chief at the Columbus, Ohio, Police Department; Larry Boone, former chief at the Norfolk, Virginia, Police Department, and Gina Hawkins, former chief at the City of Fayetteville, North Carolina, Police Department.

The selection of a new chief was made necessary by the death in February of former Chief Derrick Diggs, who had been chief of the department for the past seven years.

Diggs was an Ohio native and had served over 46 years in law enforcement and had been the chief in Toledo, Ohio, before being selected for the job in Fort Myers.

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