Coastal Breeze News

By Steve Reynolds The 2nd Annual Rib Cook-Off was recently held at the Marco Island Brewery and a capacity crowd was on hand to taste the succulent ribs served hot off the grill. The Marco Island Brewery was again the host venue for the event which benefits the Marco Police Foundation. Seven “Ribbers” took part in the event which raised over $3,000 for the Marco Police Foundation. Celebrity Judges sampled the offerings for such categories as taste, look and overall greatness. Only 1 and 1/ 2 points separated the winner from the 2nd place runner –up. Jan Graf, who submitted ... Read More »

By Monte Lazarus [email protected] For the last few weeks the Police Department (at least it appears that way) has been stationing official cars at certain places with no drivers, or others, in the cars. Apparently someone in the P.D. believes that these “dummy” cars will encourage drivers to slow down and also obey all other traffic laws. I believe otherwise. My view is that drivers of other cars will divert their attention to see who is in the “dummy” car, thereby increasing the chances of accidents. Admittedly, it is conceivable, but not likely, that a corps of special midgets has ... Read More »

Along with the nation, the Marco Island Police Department mourns the tragic and senseless loss of children and educators in Newtown Connecticut. This horrific event reminds us that no community, regardless of location or demographic is immune to crime, even criminal acts as unspeakable and dreadful as demonstrated on December 14th. Those who research school violence remind us that these events have occurred in many countries and at all levels of educational institutions for the past five decades, however the 24/7 media cycle has made us more aware of these events in recent memory. The purpose of this communication is to explain ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff For a relatively small police department of 33 full-time officers, 2012 was a turbulent year of personnel changes, with several high-ranking officers resigning, lawsuits against the City and a slate of junior officers joining the force. Matt Goetz and Pete Beucler’s careers developed within the Marco Island Police Deparment, but effectively ended this month due to an internal investigation. In June of 2012, an anonymous report alleged that Lt. Buecler had sent a photo of his “unclothed physique” to a female officer while both were off-duty. What was characterized as a “frat boy prank” by ... Read More »

Marco Island Police Department Partners with The Shelter for Abused Women & Children for a Donation Drive of Dreams Marco Island Police Department has teamed with The Shelter for Abused Women & Children this Holiday season by hosting a Donation Drive of Dreams. We will begin collecting new and unwrapped gifts and basic necessities for women. children. and men of all ages in the lobby of the Marco Island Police Department as of December 5. 2012. The donation box will be located near the elevator at the Marco Island Police Department located at 51 Bald Eagle Dr. We will continue to ... Read More »

The Marco Island Police Department was recently asked to investigate two cases of internet related fraud. Although one victim was located in Tennessee and the other resided in Tampa, the cases were linked to Craigslist and a suspect who illegally assumed the virtual identity of a Marco Island resident. Although the cases are still being actively investigated, we wanted to provide the public information to protect themselves from similar scams in the future. A national financial website identified the seven most common scams perpetrated on internet based classified websites; they include home & apartment rental, car buying & selling, employment ... Read More »

The Marco Island Police Department is committed to the prevention of impaired driving, removing impaired drivers from our roadways and educating the public on the critical subject of impaired driving. To facilitate success in these mission areas, the Marco Island Police Department will be conducting an Impaired Driving Checkpoint November 17, 2012 commencing at 9:00pm. The checkpoint will be located at 1089 N Collier Blvd. The checkpoint’s emphasis will be: Removing impaired drivers from the roadway; Reducing the likelihood that impaired drivers will operate their vehicles on our roadways; Creating a heightened awareness regarding impaired driving; Educating the public on the ... Read More »

The City of Marco Island and Police Officer Ed d’Alessandro have resolved the grievance filed by D’Alessandro contesting his termination from the Marco Island Police Department on October 7, 2011. The grievance was filed pursuant to the Florida Police Benevolent Association/City of Marco Island Collective Bargaining Agreement. Officer D’Alessandro was found guilty in Collier County Traffic Court of careless operation of a motor vehicle. It was determined after an internal investigation by the Marco Island Police Department that d’Alessandro had also violated numerous police department policies and police practices. Evidence established that his careless actions contributed to a vehicle crash ... Read More »

By Danielle Dodder The Marco Island Police Department recently completed a study of accident trends from 2008 to 2011 and found incidents involving cars and bicycles, or pedestrians, has increased 50%. “We need to share the limited amount of space we have and do it properly so we don’t injure each other…when we see this increasing trend [of accidents] we need to ask ourselves, why?” Assistant Chief Dave Baer said that the department is teaming up with the city Bike Paths Committee and the Knights of Columbus to improve bike safety awareness on the island. Ben Farnsworth is the current ... Read More »

On 10/08/12 at 0223 Hrs, Marco Island Police Officers were dispatched to the 1400 block of Jamaica Road reference a single vehicle crash. The caller noted that an individual was observed walking eastbound away from the scene of the crash. Officers arrived two minutes later and observed a 2008 Maroon Jeep Grand Cherokee which had sustained heavy damage and a significant amount of vehicle debris strewn about the roadway and yards. Marco Island Police and Fire Rescue personnel immediately discovered a male who had sustained obvious fatal injuries lying in the swale of 1423 Jamaica Rd. Preliminary investigation at the ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff Marco Police Chief Don Hunter is seeking a larger, more responsive police force, and his goals got the green light at Monday’s city council meeting. “We have the same size force [33 officers], that we’ve had since the mid 2000’s,” explains Assistant Chief Dave Baer. Baer points out that the number refers to all law enforcement staff, not 33 patrol officers available for street deployment at the same time. “Right now, we’re responding to things ‘as needed,’ more reactive than proactive.” A shift’s duties can be broken down into several basic categories: calls for service, ... Read More »

  On 08/30/12 Joyce Crain was arrested on ten additional felony counts associated with the investigation cited below.   The new charges are:   Unlicensed Practice of Health Care Profession (Third Degree Felony);   Drugs – Health or Safety Dispense Prescription without License (Third Degree Felony);   Drugs – Health or Safety Possess/Sell/Deliver Contraband Drug (Third Degree Felony) – 4 Counts;   Drugs – Health of Safety Traffic/Possession of Contraband Drugs [$25K or more] (First Degree Felony);   Fraudulent Use of Personal Identification Information (Third Degree Felony) – 3 Counts.   These charges are the result of an on-going investigation being ... Read More »

DATE & TIME: 08/22/2012 10:30:00 AM ARRESTED: Juan Rolandan-Sasvin, 40 / Driving While License Expired LOCATION: Yellowbird Street and Fruitland Avenue INCIDENT: Traffic Stop An Officer conducted a stop on a vehicle in the vicinity of Yellowbird Street and Fruitland Avenue. The driver identified as Juan Rolandan-Sasvin was cited for operating a motor vehicle with an expired drivers license. He was released at the scene on a Notice to Appear in Court Summons.     DATE & TIME: 08/23/2012 08:20:00 AM ARRESTED: Sergio Rodriguez, 36 / Driving While License Expired LOCATION: N. Collier Blvd. and Bayside Court INCIDENT: Traffic Stop ... Read More »

Members of the Marco Island Police and Fire Rescue Departments donated 36 backpacks (all fully stocked with school supplies), along with extra school supplies to the Collier County Shelter for Abused Women and Children. The Shelter, which provides services to Marco Island residents and visitors, assists more then 1,100 child victims and survivors of domestic violence through safety, intervention, and direct support annually. The project was spearheaded by Marco Island Police School Resource Officer Al Schettino and Marco Island Fire-Rescue Captain Dave Batiato. This was the third year for our backpack initiative, and we are excited to top last year’s ... Read More »

Recently several unlocked vehicles were entered in the overnight hours in the north-east area of the City of Marco Island. The vehicles were ransacked and valuables taken. The popularity of MP3 players, GPS devices, radar detectors, TV / stereo equipment, laptop computers, and cellular phones provide valuable targets for would-be thieves.  Any vehicle with a visible power cord or mount, briefcase, purse, gym bag or other valuables left in sight may be a target.  Sunglasses, CD’s, wallets, backpacks, credit cards and loose change are common targets as well. The Marco Island Police Department would like to remind you that you have ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff Marco Island’s Police Department is reorganizing. It’s a move calculated to assure greater efficiency and furnish increased security while improving cost effectiveness. Police Chief Don Hunter and City Manager Jim Riviere have developed a new structure for the department. In place of an organization that had department components reporting to the Chief through an Assistant Chief there will be four functions directly responsible to the Chief. They are: • The Assistant Chief, who will be responsible for a variety of functions, including support services such as evidence and records, police officer school resource, recruiting, training, ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff One of Marco Island’s most beloved firefighters had a send-off from an overflow crowd at the firehouse on July 27th. Steve Fickling retired after 28 years of dedicated service, beginning June 20, 1984. His last position was Driver/Engineer, but he was also the guiding force behind Marco’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) which prepares citizens to deal with emergencies and catastrophes. Many of the well-wishers were CERT members, and numerous others were members of Marco Island’s Fire Rescue Foundation and the Marco Island Police Department. Steve says that he considers himself: “a native Floridian because ... Read More »

As of July 2012, the State of Florida leads the nation together with Georgia, Oklahoma and Texas in Police Officer fatalities.  Sadly, given the current rate of on-duty Police Officer deaths, 2012 will likely mirror or surpass 2011, reaching the unfathomable triple digit benchmark. In mid FY12, the Police Department identified a need for eighteen sets of body armor for its sworn officers (Full-time, Reserve and Auxiliary).  These units replaced armor that had exceeded the manufacturer’s service life, or were being provided to personnel who were never issued body armor.  The Police Department was unable to budget for these items ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom [email protected] Marco Island’s Beach Advisory Committee’s recent call for Volunteer Beach Stewards was answered by 18 Marco residents. Providing verbal information about the beach and its ordinances, along with assisting beach-goers with wildlife, directional and public inquiries, these volunteers are making great use out of their time at the beach. In conjunction with the Marco Island Community Affairs and Police Departments, the Beach Advisory Committee recently trained these 18 volunteers during a Beach Steward Program on May 22 at the Marco Island Police Department. Each volunteer is asked to donate at least one two-hour shift per week, ... Read More »

MIPD News Release  Evidence of the presence of a bear was found at a residence on the east end of the Island on Sheffield Drive. This is the first time in recent memory that the Marco Island Police Department has been advised of such an occurrence. While some people believe that seeing a black bear is a very exciting experience, many others view the experience as a danger or threat to their personal or pet’s safety. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) have indicated that “the presence of bears is not necessarily a problem or a threat to ... Read More »