Marco Island police chief gets no confidence vote from union

Marco Island Police Chief Tracy Frazzano has received a vote of no-confidence from the police union.

The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 95 represents 27 officers. They called their no-confidence vote a “last resort,” as 23 votes of no-confidence and one vote of confidence were tallied. They want her removed and are questioning her leadership.

The union president, Jonathon Gray, sent Marco Island City Manager Michael McNees a letter after the vote took place and requested McNees “take appropriate actions” to address their concerns against the Chief.

“This decision was not made lightly and is the result of extensive deliberation among our members,” Gray said in the letter.

The union said there are serious internal issues within the Marco Island Police Department. The union president said the relationship with the chief is “beyond repair.”

McNees said the concerns in the letter are too vague and that he needs more information to take any action.

“All I can say is, I’ll hear them out and find out what the nature of their specifics are. Again, the letter that they sent was pretty vague and didn’t really have much that I could certainly hang my hat on, certainly nothing that arose to the level of needing a new police chief,” McNees said.

McNees added that he has worked with the chief during her 5-year tenure, stating she is “well regarded in the community.”

The city of Marco Island is not planning to take any action against Chief Frazzano following the 23-1 no-confidence vote.

“There have been numerous concerns raised regarding her integrity, respect, professionalism, decision-making and the overall direction in which she is leading the department,” Gray said in the letter.

In the letter, Gray outlined several different reasons why the vote went through.

“Chief Frazzano entering active crime scenes in workout attire, making poor operational decisions resulting in unnecessary risk to the well-being of our members and the community and taking disproportionate disciplinary actions against our members. It is our belief that these issues have created an environment of diminished morale and a culture of fear and uncertainty within the department,” Gray said.

Gray, in the letter, said several officers who have left the station in recent years left because of the chief.

McNees said the letter, which he got on Sept. 28, came at a weird time. It was during the hurricane and right after a new collective bargaining contract, which he said he worked on with the union.

“We’ve just implemented a new collective bargaining agreement with that union and some pretty healthy additions to their contract. So, none of these issues came up during bargaining. So, I’m a little surprised to hear so soon after putting that [collective bargaining contract] to bed,” McNees said.

This isn’t the first time Police Chief Tracy Frazzano allegations like these have come up against the chief. About a year ago, WINK Investigations reported on an anonymous letter sent to her with similar claims. It claimed employees are fed up with the lack of trust, continued apparent bias and low morale.

In an exclusive sit-down interview with WINK News in October 2023, she defended how she runs the department but said she also took the email to heart. The city completed an internal inquiry and found the accusations had no merit.

The allegations the police union are making now are similar to the accusations that came to light a year prior.

The Marco Island Police Chief, Tracy Frazzano, responded to the no-confidence vote in a statement that reads, in part, “This vote is a serious reflection of the sentiments among our uniformed members, and I want to assure you that I do not take it lightly. I recognize that I am not perfect and do have weaknesses. I am committed to being a continual learner and will take this opportunity to work diligently with my team to create a better internal culture for the Marco Island Police Department.”

Frazzano noted she was appreciative of their opinions and valued making sure everyone’s voices were heard. The union president said the members are afraid of retaliation.

“Going forward, if she is left in her position of power, we are gravely concerned of the motive that she will have to retaliate against the members of this union for defending our beliefs. The predictable consequences of not relieving her of her duties raises a high propensity for a hostile work environment and liability,” Gray said in the letter to the city.

The union is asking the city to take action, but the city is not ready to do that.

“It is our hope that you will consider this feedback and take appropriate action to address our concerns. We are hopeful new leadership will soon restore the confidence of our members and the entire community,” Gray said.

McNees said he communicated with Gray on Tuesday, looking to set up a time to meet. The union has said it is willing to provide more details on Chief Frazzano.

“I’ll hear them out. They say they have more specifics that have not been brought to the table, and I need to hear them out, and it will deal accordingly with whatever information comes forward,” McNees said.

McNees hopes to meet with the union in the next few days.

As discussions between The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 95 and the city of Marco Island continue, WINK News will stay on top of this.