Marco Island’s police chief under fire amid union criticism

The future of the Marco Island Police Department is hanging in the balance as its Chief of Police faces criticism.

The police union gave Chief Tracy Frazzano a vote of no-confidence last week, and on Tuesday Marco Island’s city manager is meeting with union members to see the evidence that led to their decision.

WINK News reporter Maddie Herron went to the meeting to see what this could mean for the future of the department.

It means there is a clear distrust between many officers and their police chief Tracy Frazzano.

As for those documents, the union didn’t hold back, ultimately calling for the chief’s removal.

Johnathan Gray, the president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 95, said, “Everyone is, I don’t want to say, walking on eggshells, but everyone is concerned, but also hopeful in that there are some changes made.”

But just what that change may be is up to Marco Island city manager Mike McNees.

“This is about the operation of our department. The union members have strong feelings, and certainly, the chief does too. We have to sort through all that and get to the truth,” McNees said.

After a vote of no confidence towards police chief Tracey Frazzano, the union outlined how they felt in 17 pages, and presented to the city manager in a closed meeting Tuesday afternoon.

Its opening line reads: “This outline to provide clarity on the claims of chief Frazzano lacking in integrity, respect, professionalism, and the overall direction in which she is leading the department.”

The union raised concerns about hiring bias, document forging and poor operational decisions.

Serious claims–some of which Frazzano previously addressed in a 2023 interview with WINK News when similar accusations popped up.

“It has been unfounded, not substantiated,” Frazzano said.

McNees said, “We’ve all got some work to do. I encourage her to read it closely. And frankly, I said, I suggest that she go through there and figure out what’s in there. Does she feel like is true? You know, what can be addressed in that way, but we’ve all got to read it much more closely.”

After she met with the city manager this afternoon, we reached out to Chief Frazzano for comment and have not heard back.

City manager McNees told WINK he will continue to break down the union’s 17-page document with his team tomorrow.