The Fort Myers Police Department has partnered with local and state law enforcement agencies to host a Missing Person’s Day this upcoming weekend.
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The event is the first of its kind to be held in Lee county. FMPD Sergeant Lesa Breneman said the idea was inspired by law enforcement efforts in other Florida cities in the state to try and identify unknown remains.
"Maybe some of our unidentified missing are just never reported missing persons," Breneman said. "So we wanted to have a day, and a place, and a time where we had everybody together at once to help these families out."
The Lee county Sheriff’s Department, the Cape Coral Police Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will be joined by two national missing person’s organizations.
Breneman said the organizations, The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, are a helpful long-term resource for missing peeople.
"They keep a database of not only the DNA of skeletal remains, but they will compare for family connections with anyone who believes that their missing person could be one of the skeletal remains that we've found," Breneman said.
The agencies will be collecting DNA samples, dental and medical records and updated photographs during the event as well as taking new reports of missing people.
The event will be held Saturday, July 27 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the cafeteria of Fort Myers High School.
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