Officer Nagell assumes marine-patrol position

Longboat Key Police Officer Shawn Nagell’s new assignment requires something he didn’t have to worry about patrolling the Key by car: sunscreen — lots of it.

“Morning, noon and afternoon,” he says.

The thrice-daily sunscreen application is necessary because Nagell now spends most of his workday on the Longboat Key police boat.

He volunteered for the position earlier this year, after longtime Marine Patrol Officer Dennis Silverio Jr., who has worked for the department since 1999, requested a transfer to regular patrol.

Nagell, who enjoys boating recreationally, volunteered for the job because he thought it would be an interesting challenge after nearly a decade as a patrol officer on the road. He began his career with the department as a dispatcher in 2001 and enrolled in police academy that year, thinking it would help him provide better service. In 2003, after attending police academy while working full time, he applied for a job as a police officer and was sworn into the position in August of that year.

Beginning in February, Nagell spent nearly two months on the boat with Silverio, training for his new role. He took over the captain’s wheel, solo, about four weeks ago. Currently, he is training to obtain his U.S. Coast Guard captain’s license, which he expects to receive by the end of the year.

Nagell said he is enjoying the new job, although he’s learned that stopping a boater for a violation is different than a traffic stop.

“It’s more dynamic,” he says. “With cars, you basically have both vehicles come to a stop. But with a boat, you can come to a stop but it’s still moving.”

It’s also different because he’s out on the water by himself, unlike road patrol in which it’s easy to call for backup.

Although summer typically brings a slower pace for most people on Longboat Key, Nagell is preparing for his busy season as boaters take to the water. And, if he could provide one piece of advice to all those boaters, it would be this: Take a boating course.

“You wouldn’t try to get in the cockpit of a plane without knowing what you’re doing,” he said. “It’s a totally different environment.”