Marco Island’s police department is staying put.

After weeks of speculation, public debate and growing concern among residents, the Marco Island City Council has made its position clear: there are no plans to defund the Marco Island Police Department.

The reassurance comes after discussions over whether the city should explore contracting the Collier County Sheriff’s Office to provide law enforcement services instead of maintaining its own police force. The idea, raised as a possible way to reduce long-term costs, quickly became one of the island’s most divisive issues.

For many residents, the suggestion went far beyond balancing budgets.

Packed council meetings saw passionate appeals from community members who argued that a locally based police department is central to Marco Island’s identity, offering faster response times, stronger neighbourhood relationships and a level of accountability that cannot easily be replicated by a larger county agency.

City leaders insist no formal proposal to dismantle the department was ever brought forward, but the discussion alone fuelled fears that Marco Island could lose one of its most visible public services.

Now, the council says the matter is settled.

The Marco Island Police Department will remain the city’s primary law enforcement agency, with officers continuing to patrol neighbourhoods, respond to emergencies and support community policing initiatives.

While council members are expected to continue reviewing public safety spending as part of the city’s regular budget process, they have confirmed there is no plan to defund the department or hand policing responsibilities to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.

For residents who packed council chambers to defend their police force, it is a decision likely to bring relief—and one that ends, at least for now, one of the most contentious debates at City Hall this year.

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