Santa Maria police chief is retiring in November

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – The City of Santa Maria announced the resignation of Police Chief Marc Schneider, effective November 29th.

Below is a press release regarding the announcement:

Acting City Manager Chuen Wu announces the pending resignation of Police Chief Marc Schneider, effective November 29th^Th. The City looks forward to working with a recruiting firm with public safety experience to fill the position. During this time, Commander Dan Cohen will serve as interim police chief.

“We thank Chief Schneider for these three decades of service to the community,” Wu said.

Chief Schneider’s law enforcement career began with the City of Pismo Beach in 1993 and was hired by the Santa Maria Police Department in 1995. He served as an officer, sergeant and lieutenant and was promoted to division commander in March 2017. He became acting chief on December 19, 2020 and police chief on January 2, 2021.

A long-time Santa Marian, he has a passion for serving the community and serves on the following nonprofit boards: Board of Trustees for Child Abuse Listening Mediation (CALM), Advisory Board for One805, and Department Liaison for the Santa Maria Police Council. He is also a member of the following civic organizations: Breakfast Rotary Club of Santa Maria and Santa Maria Elks Lodge #1538.

Commander Dan Cohen began his law enforcement career more than 25 years ago with the Ontario Police Department before moving home to the Santa Maria Police Department in 1998. He has held every rank the department offered: officer, corporal, sergeant, lieutenant and was most recently promoted to division commander in 2017.

The police have around 200 positions. The Santa Maria Public Safety Communications Center receives approximately 200,000 calls from police and fire departments each year.

Questions may be directed to the City Manager’s Office, (805) 925-0951, extension 2372.

City of Santa Maria