Safety is Priority One for Marco Marine Patrol Unit

On October 22, 2026, I joined Marco’s Marine Patrol duo, Officers Josh Ferris and Alex Cordero, for a morning waterways patrol. Officer Ferris has been with Marco Island Police Department (MIPD) for almost 13 years and with the Marine Patrol Unit for most of those years. Officer Alex Cordero joined MIPD two years ago straight from the Police Academy and has been with the Marine Unit for a year now. We left Rose Marina on the 32-foot Contender, which was purchased new in June 2021.

A typical day started with Officer Cordero first checking the weather conditions, wind direction, and tides. Around mid-morning, it was a bit windy and the waves were a bit choppy on the Gulfside. As we started out of Rose Marina, Officer Ferris immediately noticed that a jet ski rider was not wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) and was loudly alerted. “We are here to make sure that everybody is safe,” said Ferris.

As we proceeded North into the Marco River, both officers were constantly scanning the horizon.  There were numerous boats already heading out, and Officer Ferris added, “When you are out on the water, everyone is out there to have a good time and you want to make sure that they are doing it safely.” He added, “In a couple of weeks, the busy season will start and will continue till Easter, and it is important for the boating community to know that we are out here every day. We are visible on the waterways and we are accessible and they can easily reach out to us as a resource. At the end of the day, it is all about safety.”

On the Florida waterways, including Marco Island, there are signs restricting boat speed in certain areas for the protection of manatees and for boating safety. Both officers were busy checking for vessels as they approached these areas. “Not everyone is familiar with what the signs mean and we are here to make sure that people are abiding by the posted speed and we are constantly looking for opportunities to educate boaters,” said Officer Ferris.

Most Common Signs: Manatee Zone

“Idle Speed, No Wake” Zone: a designated area where vessels must be operated at a speed no greater than is necessary to maintain steerage (control) and headway (forward motion). Vessels should not produce any wake at this speed.

“Slow Speed, Minimum Wake” Zone: vessels must be fully off plane and completely settled in the water. Any wake created by a vessel must be minimal.

According to FWC, boat strikes are one of the leading causes of manatee deaths in Florida. Slow-moving manatees and fast motorboats make for a deadly encounter. In December, 2025, Officer Ferris, together with FWC, helped rescue an injured manatee bearing the typical crisscrossed cuts across its back, often caused by boat propellers.

According to Officer Cordero, the most common trash item floating after a storm is vegetation debris such as palm fronds. Luckily, there are not many cases of oil spills. Officer Cordero added, “The Marco River is the busiest waterway here – everyone comes through and is the quickest access from boaters coming from Keewaydin, Naples, and from the south end.”

When a marine emergency is reported, the Marine Emergency Response Team (MERT) is activated, bringing together a multi-agency rapid response with the Marco Marine Patrol, Marco Island Fire Rescue Fire Boat 50, Greater Naples Fire Rescue and Collier County Sheriff’s marine assets. In February 2026, the Marco Marine Unit and  Marco Island Fire Rescue joined the other agencies and responded to a report of a seaplane capsized in the Ten Thousand Islands in the Everglades.

During the mid-morning patrol, the Marine Patrol Unit traveled through 22 nautical miles protecting Marco’s waterways, one of the community’s greatest assets. According to Officer Ferris, having the Contender gives the Marine Unit the ability to respond to emergencies quickly, which happens quite often on the coastal waters and inland waterways.