Dashcam video reveals tension between Marco Island Councilwoman and police officer over beach night fishing enforcement

MARCO ISLAND, Fla. (WINK) — A newly obtained dashcam recording has exposed friction between a Marco Island city official and the local police department over how officers enforce night fishing ordinances on the island's beaches.

The disagreement, uncovered by a WINK Investigates review of police records and audio, precedes a sudden push by the same councilmember to explore disbanding the city's police force entirely.

The friction began just after 9 p.m. on May 30, when Councilwoman Bonita Schwan called the police after spotting a group of five people fishing on the beach with chairs, a cooler, and a kayak. Marco Island's city code strictly prohibits man-made objects on the sand at night to protect nesting sea turtles.

According to police records, the responding officer determined that the fishermen held valid shark-fishing licenses. According to department policy, the officer allegedly said he issued a verbal warning and educated the group about the local ordinance. The fishermen complied, packed up their gear, and left the beach.

However, dashcam footage reveals that Councilwoman Schwan called the responding officer back, demanding to know why a formal, written notice wasn't issued.

"City council has directed that we want you to enforce this, and when you see that, then you issue the warnings, and you didn't do that… I don't understand why you're not issuing the warnings, the actual notice of warnings," Schwan can be heard saying in the recorded audio.

The interaction left the officer uncomfortable enough that his sergeant flagged the incident, sending an email to the police chief to document the pressure.

"I believe it is important that officers be supported when they are acting in accordance with established departmental enforcement procedures," the sergeant wrote.

Interim Police Chief Joseph Belardo defended his force’s handling of the situation, noting that department policy requires officers to alert leadership whenever an incident involves a city official. However, Belardo stopped short of criticizing Schwan.

"To me, it looked like a discussion between our officers who acted professionally and a person who was making a complaint about an issue on the beach," Chief Belardo told Chief WINK Investigates Reporter Chorus Nylander.  "Council Person Schwan is a member of the community; she's a citizen here, she has the right to call the police to report violations of the law."

Chief Belardo confirmed that no active internal investigation is underway because neither the officer nor the councilwoman has filed an official written complaint that would require such actions. He added that he has not spoken directly with Schwan regarding the matter.

While the Chief frames the dispute as a difference of opinion, the timing comes amid a very fragile political moment for the police department. 

Just two days after the beach incident, at a June 1 City Council meeting, Councilwoman Schwan spearheaded a request to investigate the potential disbanding of the Marco Island Police Department. Schwan successfully pushed for a 4-to-3 council vote to explore contracting for law enforcement services with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.

Schwan has publicly stated that the move is strictly a cost-saving measure to prepare the city for potential property tax revenue losses and other budget shortfalls.

Because there is no concrete proof tying the beach dispute to the legislative push, Chief Belardo declined to comment on the timeline. However, he made his stance on the future of his department clear.

"I think that this community is very well served by the members of this department," Belardo said. "I really am very hopeful for the future. I think that we have some pretty good times ahead of us."

WINK Investigates attempted to reach Councilwoman Schwan via repeated emails and phone calls, but she did not respond. When approached directly by Chorus Nylander at a Monday council meeting, Schwan declined to comment, stating she had “no time” to make any statements. 

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