Lee County is setting an example — not just for the state, but for the nation — on how to keep communities safe.

Under Sheriff Carmine Marceno’s leadership, the county’s homicide rates are at historic lows, major narcotics operations have been dismantled, cutting-edge technology has been deployed, and schools have been fortified with advanced security measures.

On homicide rates, Lee County detectives are solving homicides at a rate that outpaces most agencies statewide. And the drop in homicides in recent years has been precipitous, from 22 in 2020 to just 10 in 2023, WINK News reported.

The success stems from a blend of relentless investigative work, forensic technology and community partnerships that encourage residents to speak up if they see something amiss.

Recent cases — some previously thought unsolvable — have been cracked thanks to innovative investigative methods and rapid mobilization of specialized units. Every murder case in the county since 2023 has been solved, and the Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit has achieved a 100% clearance rate, a massive improvement from the national average of about just 50%, according to WINK.

Similarly, the Sheriff’s Office has overseen a string of high-impact drug busts over the past year, taking kilos of illegal drugs, dangerous fentanyl and weapons off local streets. Earlier this year, the Sheriff’s Office completed a drug operation dubbed “Operation CandyMan Crackdown,” which led to 68 arrests. Of those, 50 suspects faced trafficking charges.

In all, the operation led to the seizure of nearly $1 million worth of drugs, including 349 pounds of pot, more than two kilograms of powder crack cocaine, half a kilogram of fentanyl and 621 packages of kratom. Other drugs seized included heroin, ecstasy and methamphetamine. A total of 26 firearms and one Lincoln Navigator were also seized.

Residents have noticed the difference, as overdose numbers continue to decline and violent crime connected to drug trafficking drops sharply.

“Every pill, every gram, every firearm we remove from the wrong hands is a life saved,” Marceno has previously said.

Other drug busts include a package interception this month; Operation Sun Burn in July, which led to 60 arrests; the Lehigh Acres bust in September, which resulted in three arrests; and the Club Blu suspect arrest in November, in which a suspect awaiting trial for murders at the club was arrested on several drug trafficking charges after raiding a “stash house” in Fort Myers.

Technology is helping to aid in the Sheriff’s Office’s recent successes, including recent investments in a real-time intelligence center with artificial intelligence-driven analytics, a fleet of drones, an automated license plate recognition system and enhanced digital forensics labs. The investments are leading to faster response times, quicker case closure and improved officer safety.

Additionally, Marceno is taking steps to enhance school safety, including increasing deputy presence in schools and new high-security protocols. As of last year, the Sheriff’s Office had 93 specially trained deputies working in schools throughout the county.

The Sheriff’s Office is also participating in a new bus safety program allowing cameras on school buses to capture illegal passing and issue $225 fines; the OPENGATE program that screens bags and backpacks for threats; and the DANGER program educating elementary students on the dangers of drugs, how to manage anger, how to avoid peer pressure and to practice safe internet usage.

And the Sheriff’s Office has increased school threat assessment teams, cyber safety programs and more.

Marceno also developed Nan’s Ranch, an inmate worker program that teaches incarcerated people patience and compassion while working with animals. The program is meant to also provide valuable skills that could be used upon reentry, including as a ranch hand, farrier, carpenter, landscaper, painter, small engine repair mechanic, and more. Launched in 2022, the program was created to honor Marceno’s grandmother’s legacy, and is named after her.

Marceno’s record puts him in a strong position to run for higher office, should he decide to do so. Marceno, a Republican, is openly mulling a bid for Florida’s 19th Congressional District to replace incumbent U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, who is leaving office to run for Governor.

Inquire, a research firm based in Miami, polled Marceno against a field of declared GOP candidates in the district in October and found he’s the only candidate polling in double digits. The poll put Marceno at 34% support.

And if Marceno moves on to Capitol Hill, his work at the Lee County Sheriff’s Office has clearly laid a foundation for success for any potential successor.

U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds will support a stock trading ban for members of Congress, but still wants to keep his broker.

The Naples Republican, who is running for Governor, discussed the issue with the Fox News radio affiliate in his district, 92.5 FM WFSX. The topic came up as U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a St. Petersburg Republican, presses for a floor vote on a stock trading ban through a discharge petition.

“Luna and I talked about this, actually, yesterday on the (House) floor. But when it comes up for a vote, I’m voting for it,” Donalds said. “I have always been opposed to members trading positions.”

But notably, he put conditions that aren’t included in the legislation Luna favors right now. Donalds, a former private wealth manager before his election to Congress, said members should still be allowed to own stocks, just not to direct trades.

“Let me just get it out there because I know people say, ‘Well, Byron, you own stocks.’  I do, but my stocks are traded by my financial advisor, Tom Moran, in Naples. They’ve been my financial advisor since I got to Congress. I actually worked there before I got to Congress. I do not initiate trades. That is done by my broker, (and) he has third-party authorization to trade on my behalf. We have no contact about this stuff,” Donalds said.

“The only thing with what I told Anna was, I think you do have to make an allowance for members who give third-party authorization to a financial professional because then the financial professional is the one that’s doing the trading, not the member of Congress. I have always been opposed to members trading. I’ve never supported it because you do have access to information that could be manipulated.”

Donalds has regularly reported stock trades, most recently a series of trades done between Oct. 9 and Nov. 1, with all trades handled in a Moran Wealth IRA.

The website Quiver Quantitative, which flags reported congressional trading, pegs Donalds’ net worth at $4.38 million, with about $456,000 of that tied to stocks and $84,000 as cash in his IRA, with another $33,000 in pensions.

The majority of his worth comes from stake in OptimaEd, the online learning company run by his wife, Erika Donalds, not in stocks.

Let me offer a lesson in unforced errors.

Some campaign blunders are harmless. Others are educational. And then, every so often, a candidate comes along who blends audacity with incompetence so seamlessly you almost have to admire the craftsmanship.

Enter congressional hopeful Mark Davis, currently running to unseat U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan in Florida’s 16th Congressional District.

He has zero chance. But honestly, that’s not the interesting part, because now it looks like he has less than zero chance, if that’s even a thing.

Davis has somehow managed to build his entire campaign on a lie — and he’s been so committed to the performance he even managed to fool ActBlue, the nation’s Democratic fundraising platform. That alone deserves some kind of participation trophy for creativity.

Now, if we were being charitable (we’re not), we could chalk this up to a “misprint” by the website guy. But Davis removes all doubt.

Cute speech. Inspiring, even.

Except for one important detail. Mark Davis is not a Democrat.

Filings with both the Federal Elections Commission and Florida Supervisor of Elections show, in black and white, that Davis is registered as No Party Affiliation (NPA). In other words, he’s lying.

Let’s be honest: Davis’s campaign was over before it began. Every cycle we see the same parade of gadflies who file paperwork, launch a website, and pretend they’re running for Congress. Normally we just smile, nod, and move on.

But Davis isn’t just blurring lines, he’s redrawing them in crayon. And when a candidate has to invent his party affiliation just to stay relevant, the campaign stops being a campaign and starts being community theater.