Guest Commentary | Just the facts
In this past weekend’s edition of The Breeze, former Cape Coral mayor John Sullivan published a letter to the editor that warrants a response in the interest of accuracy and context.
Former Mayor John Sullivan’s recent letter is not only inaccurate — it is reckless.
His insinuation that I, or the Cape Coral Police Department, acted improperly, dishonestly, or unlawfully in pursuing funding for a new Mobile Command Vehicle is categorically false. Let me be clear: At no point was any information manipulated, altered, or misrepresented to any state agency. That accusation is baseless.
Mr. Sullivan either fundamentally misunderstood the public discussion at Council or intentionally distorted it for political effect. Neither is acceptable.
The facts are straightforward.
Our current Mobile Command Vehicle is nearly 20 years old, operationally outdated, increasingly expensive to maintain, and no longer aligned with the technological demands of modern public safety. Replacement planning was not sudden, rushed, or concealed — it was part of our long-term capital planning process and budget discussions.
When one funding avenue became uncertain, we did what responsible leaders do: We adapted. We explored lawful, transparent alternative funding sources to ensure operational readiness without interruption. That is not manipulation. That is sound stewardship of public resources and responsible leadership.
To suggest this vehicle exists for parades is not serious commentary — it is dismissive of the very real operational demands of contemporary policing, emergency management, large-scale incident command, disaster response, and interagency coordination. In Florida, where hurricanes, mass-casualty incidents, and critical infrastructure emergencies are realities — not hypotheticals — having modern mobile command capability is not a luxury. It is a necessity.
What is particularly telling is that if Mr. Sullivan truly had questions about this process, he could have asked. I am not hard to find. My door is open, my phone works, and I am always available armed with the truth and the facts. But seeking facts requires a willingness to hear them, and apparently that was never the objective here.
Instead, Mr. Sullivan chose public accusation over private inquiry, speculation over understanding, and innuendo over truth.
Words matter. Accusations matter. And when a former mayor publicly questions the integrity of public servants without evidence, it does far more damage to public trust than any policy disagreement ever could.
I have served this profession and this community for nearly 30 years with integrity, transparency, and accountability. My record speaks for itself.
Disagreement over public spending is fair game. False accusations against the character and integrity of public servants are not.
The residents of Cape Coral deserve honest debate rooted in facts-not political theater built on distortion.
Anthony Sizemore, Chief of Police, Cape Coral Police Department