Airport forms its own Police Department

More than 100,000 passengers had arrived and departed Page Field during the month of March 1978 and it was clear the security needs were greater than the Lee County Sheriff's Department could continue to meet.

Faced, too, with the projection of a million people passing through the airport by 1979, LeTellier worked quickly. On March 15, 1978, the new airport police department was formed. Personnel consisted of twelve uniformed men, one dog and the first chief, Jim Woodby, a veteran of the Fort Myers Police Department.

Woodby hired experienced, certified law enforcement officers who had previously worked at either the Fort Myers Police Department or the Lee County Sheriff's Department.

Cost for the 13 men was estimated at $189,258. Their duties were to include security screening, gate security, traffic control and crowd control.

On October 2nd the Airport Fire Department became the Lee County Port Authority Crash Fire Rescue Department, a name which was much more descriptive of the services performed.

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