Carson City Sheriff’s department use dirt bikes to patrol

Carson City Sheriff’s Office has a new way of getting around town: KTM-500 dirt bikes.

The office is implementing a new program through the motor unit in order to be able to reach more areas of Carson City that were previously difficult to get to. With the new dirt bike patrols, officers can patrol the back country areas in order to keep it safe for people to use.

“We aren’t out to hassle people, but if bad people know that we are out here, the bad people will stay away so that the good people can enjoy it,” said Deputy Thomas Miller, one of the officers on the dirt bike patrol.

The program was started last year, said Sgt. Scott McDaniel. He said deputies responded to some crashes in order to test the waters. This year, they are actively patrolling with the dirt bikes.

“This is just another way to serve the community by getting where we couldn’t before,” McDaniel said.

The dirt bike patrols will help eliminate problems such as illegal dumping, drug use and underage drinking in the back country. Deputy Joey Trotter, the other officer on the dirt bike patrol, said they had found a burned vehicle in the back country that was illegally dumped there, and with the dirt bikes, they were able to reach the scene more easily.

“(The program) will make it more accessible,” Trotter said.

Deputies also will carry vehicle registration for ATVs and dirt bikes so if they come across residents who own unregistered vehicles, they can fix the problem right away without a citation.

With the program being so new, only a few officers are on the dirt bike patrol, but McDaniel hopes to expand the program so all of the Motor Unit deputies are also trained for dirt bike patrols.

All officers must complete three weeks of training with Miller and Trotter in order to use the dirt bikes.

“Right now, we are only doing four to six dirt bike patrols a month, but that will change depending on (how we can man the patrols),” McDaniel said. “We would like to see all motor officers have their own dirt bike and be able to educate the public and teach them about dirt bike safety.”

Funding for the dirt bike patrol is coming from the Sheriff’s Office’s general funds, Sheriff Ken Furlong said.

Follow reporter Taylor Pettaway on Twitter at @TaylorNVAppeal.