Carson City Sheriff's Captain Robert White to run for sheriff

Carson City Sheriff's Captain Robert White announced Saturday his intention to run for sheriff.

"I want to make a difference in the community," said White, a 19-year veteran of the department. "I feel like I can carry the sheriff's office into the next decade and stabilize overspending."

White said his main goals would be to tackle the growing gang and drug crime and redirect resources to get the best results of out money spent.

"I would like to see gangs dealt with in an effective and aggressive manner," he said. "It's taken the current administration eight years to realize this problem and reach out to surrounding counties to form a regional gang unit.

"We have a problem, we have had a problem for a number of years and we can no longer stand by watching our community overrun by these lawless individuals."

White plans to create a Community Resource Team modeled after the FBI's Safe Streets Task Force, which targets gang members and leaders. By using the FBI's model, he hopes to have officers working full time to put away gang members, instead of reacting to gang crime.

Among his plans to stabilize the budget, White said he would hire three retired officers to work part-time without benefits in the middle and high schools at the rate it now costs the department to have one full-time deputy work the school district.

"The past eight years have seen an unprecedented increase in spending with the budget of the Sheriff's Office nearly $16 million - a 33-percent increase from $11 million in 2003," he said.

White, 49, joined the Carson City Sheriff's Department in 1991 after serving 11 years active duty with the Air Force. He also served seven years with the Nevada Air Guard. He was recently promoted to captain upon completion of the FBI Academy in December.

He now works as an administrative captain. Prior to that he was head of detectives from 2003 to 2008.

Born in Quantico, Va., White's family moved to Nevada in 1971 when he was 11. White graduated from Churchill County High School in 1978.

He and wife Karen have been married 29 years. They have two adult children.

Sheriff Ken Furlong said recently he intends to seek a third term in office.