Russo announces campaign for sheriff

The Bland native and 2012 graduate of Bland County High School currently serves with the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office in investigation and traffic enforcement. He works there in a suburb of Washington, D.C., during the week and comes home on the weekends with hopes that a job as sheriff will bring him home for good.

“I am running for sheriff because I want to give back to the community that has given me so much for so many years,” Russo said. “It has always done so much and I want to put my law enforcement experience to work for the people.”

Russo attended Rappahannock Regional Criminal Justice Academy for basic law enforcement training. He worked with the Department of Corrections at the Bland Correctional Center from 2013-2018 first as a transportation officer then correctional sergeant supervising a shift of 25-35 officers during which time he was at the Charlottesville riots assisting state police along with other BCC officers.

In 2018 Russo joined the Colonial Beach Police Department on the eastern shore of Virginia serving as a road officer for about a year before going to Stafford County Sheriff’s Office as deputy sheriff. He worked patrol in the evenings and then served as a School Resource Officer for Stafford County.

When schools closed during Covid Russo went into investigation and traffic enforcement with the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office. He left for several months to work with the Wythe County Sheriff’s Department but when Stafford asked him to come back he did in late winter of 2022.

Russo would like to live and work at home in Bland County.

“Bland County has some of the greatest qualities a person could look for in a hometown,” Russo said. “The beautiful scenery is perfect for putting down roots, for raising a family, for working, and creating that American dream.”

Russo has a law enforcement background in his family. His mother is a retired state trooper, his father is a retired police officer, and his grandfather was a retired police officer.

“Over the next several months, right up to November seventh, I will be coming door to door throughout the county,” said Russo. “My goal and hopes are to be able to speak with each of you in the county. I want to hear your safety concerns, and thoughts about the community you all picked for your homes. I want to hear your voice as a community as to what you feel is going well, and what improvements you would like to see in a sheriff’s department here in Bland County.”

Russo said he wants “to bring positive change from a new perspective to Bland County, keeping our schools and children safe, and the community safe.”

“I want to bring more community involvement for our kids and adults so they have a better understanding of the office that serves them,” he said.

Russo added that as sheriff he would like to have community transparency in and out of the office with proactive officers on the street and an increased level of professionalism.

“Bland County has a lot of good officers up to the task,” he said.

“I would like to contribute my knowledge of working in a high population/high crime area working with several state and federal agencies and take that work experience and knowledge and level of professional service to my home.”

In his current work he serves on several specialty teams, is a Department of Criminal Justice instructor and state training in crash reconstruction, and has a wide variety of qualifications and experience in such areas as interrogation and criminal analysis, use of drones for surveillance and criminal apprehension, and marine patrol unit for boating regulations and safety.

Russo will be funding his own campaign and accepting no donations. Learn more about the candidate at Russo for Bland Sheriff on Facebook or contact his campaign email site at srusso2023@yahoo.com.