MANATEE COUNTY – Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Marine Unit Supervisor Russell Schnering is retiring at age 55 and Oct. 31 will be his final day of active duty.
Schnering spent the past eight years with the MCSO Marine Unit. Much of that time was spent working out of the Marine Unit station in Bradenton Beach, near the Coquina boat ramps.
The Marine Unit’s duties include patrolling Manatee County’s coastal shorelines, freshwater lakes and ponds, enforcing boating laws and safety regulations and responding to boaters, vessels and swimmers in distress.
Before being assigned to the Marine Unit, Schnering led the MCSO’s Anna Maria Unit from 2016-18. With several members of the sheriff’s office present during the Oct. 9 city commission meeting, Anna Maria Mayor Mark Short read aloud a city proclamation that honors Schnering’s service to the city, the county and the country.
The proclamation notes that Schnering served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1988-94 and joined the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office in 2009.
In 2016, he was assigned to lead the MCSO Anna Maria Unit that provides the city of Anna Maria’s contracted law enforcement services. During his time in Anna Maria, Schnering “provided outstanding leadership, community engagement and public safety service to residents and visitors,” according to the proclamation.
He was then assigned to the Marine Unit, “where his expertise on the water and commitment to public safety ensured the protection of our waterways, enforcement of maritime laws and the safety of the boating community,” according to the proclamation.
After accepting the framed proclamation from Short, Schnering thanked the mayor, the commission and sheriff’s office members who attended the meeting.
“I’ve been in Manatee County since 1970,” he said. “We’ve seen a lot of changes, but I can tell you that going forward I’m very comfortable with the sheriff’s office. There are so many dedicated people working for our sheriff’s office. It’s a great place to work and 16 years went by so fast.”
When speaking to The Sun before the meeting, Schnering said he’ll miss the sense of camaraderie that exists within the sheriff’s office and working with like-minded people that make a difference in the community. Schnering said his successor has not yet been named.
As for what’s next, Schnering said, “I’ll be splitting time between my property in Tennessee and our house here. I plan on running some fishing charters between spring and early summer.”
He and his son, Jon, operate Bradenton Fishing Charters.
