Capt Jim Leavens stands by the door to his office in Lehigh. He is the new commander of the Lee County sheriff's Bravo District, which serves all of Lehigh, Alva and Buckingham. Photo by Mel Toadvine

Capt. Jim Leavens is the new commander of the Lee County’s Sheriff’s Bravo District, taking control of the Lehigh Acres Substation this week.

Leavens, 46, replaces Capt. Ed Tamayo who has been transferred to the Sheriff’s Office Division of Internal Affairs.

Leavens actually became commander in Lehigh on the day of the Lehigh Spring Festival Parade on March 28. He rode in a golf-cart at the beginning of the parade along with Tamayo but few knew who he was or why he was riding with the captain.

He was formally introduced to the community on March 31 at the Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce’s monthly luncheon.

Lehigh is no stranger to Leavens who was a road patrol sergeant here in 2002.

“Oh, I know the roads and back streets throughout the community,” he said. He lives in Fort Myers with his wife, Angela. They have four children; Christopher, who is a student at USF in Tampa, a 16-year-old daughter at home, a 15-year-old daughter at home and a 10-year-old-boy, also at home.

Angela has been employed with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) for the past 17 years where she is a crime technician.

Capt. Leavens said he has a mission to support his deputies and staff and to get the bad guys off the streets. All together in Lehigh, he commands a staff of around 70 law enforcement and support staff people

“And I plan to carry on the good work of Capt. Tamayo,” he said.

Leavens is no stranger to police work.

Originally from Queens in New York, Leavens comes from a family of law enforcement people.

He had been an auto mechanic but decided to change careers and has been a law enforcement officer now for 21 years in Lee County.

He said his mother was an officer in the Suffolk County Courts Office in New York and his grandfather was a captain in a New York prison.

“I guess I always thought of law enforcement and when I did make the change, it was natural for me. I have enjoyed this type of work,” he said.

“I see Lehigh as a great challenge. My goals are to let the bad guys know we’re here and they might want to pack up and move somewhere else,” he said.

He praised the efforts of the new SET team in Lehigh that has brought crime down drastically over the past few weeks. The team of about a dozen men and women was recognized by the Chamber of Commerce for their efforts. They include deputies from Lehigh and other areas of the county who have expertise in aggressive law enforcement.

Tamayo as his last official act with the Chamber, called the team forward and introduced them to the large turnout at the Chamber luncheon.

“These are the reasons that our crime rate has dropped drastically over the past two months,” he said.

Everyone rose to acknowledge their efforts.

When Leavens isn’t doing police work, you may find him boating or at least outside.

“I do love the outdoors,” he said. He has a brother, Edward Leavens, who has worked for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office for 20 years. He is currently employed at the core facility on Ortiz Ave. in Fort Myers.

He praised the support of Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott and the rearrangement recently of the upper echelon of the department.

“I know Maj. Gil Allen and Col. Rob Homan … have known them for 20 years … and they are very good officers in the department. It was an excellent choice to promote these men,” he said

Leavens worked for six years in Internal Affairs. He has spent about three years working in the jail in downtown Fort Myers, about three years on road patrol as a deputy in the West District including Pinewood, Harlem Heights and Fort Myers Beach, a couple of years in property crimes, two years in a grand theft unit and about four years working as a homicide detective and he also worked in narcotics.

There are four lieutenants under his leadership. They include Lts. Paul Wiles, Rick Dobson, Scott Reaves and Gary Desrosiers.

Leavens says he is in Lehigh to rid the community of criminal activity and asks for the help of those living here.

“If they see something suspicious or something that just is not right, they should call the Sheriff’s Office at 477-1000 and report it.

“Sometimes people are shy about calling, but we would rather get the calls because they often lead to other things.

“But I would ask people not to become involved with criminals. Observe them and call us but be careful about engagement with them,” he said.

“That’s our job and we’ll do what has to be done.”

“Lehigh is a great community and it is Sheriff Mike Scott’s and my mission to send the bad guys packing and we’re going to do it,” he said.

Leavens said he will continue the recognition of officers at the Chamber monthly luncheons but may ask his lieutenants to appear from time to time to make the presentations of deputies who have been nominated for outstanding work.