Carson City Sheriff’s Deputy Nick Simpson, left, and Deputy Dylan Etchegaray answer questions about K-9 Ben at Sheriff’s Night Out on Aug. 2, 2022.
Photo by Jessica Garcia.
Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong much prefers seeing his city’s people and resources gathering together to educate and support during Sheriff’s Night Out on Tuesday over law enforcement strategies.
“The last thing we really want to do is enforcement,” Furlong said at Mills Park. “I love what we’re doing here. I love the kids being out here. That’s where the agencies are.”
The 19th annual community event that brought together about 30 local law enforcement, city agencies and substance abuse programs to inform local residents about their services gathered on the lawn. Local officers and nonprofit representatives offered giveaways, materials and opportunities to answer questions about the daily services they provide and led youth in demonstrations or activities to help them what to do in emergencies or to show their vehicles or motorcycles.
“All of the kids love the fire department,” Furlong smiled. “You get to see stuff you really don’t know about, and that’s what this is about – education and prevention.”
The effort highlights the partnerships all the local offices have made and strengthened in recent years, he said.
“As a family, you can talk to somebody and get resources that maybe you just don’t feel like going to the police about, like the Ron Wood Family Resource Center,” he said. “All of these people make up what I say is law enforcement, and it reduces the cost on the community because I can turn something over to them and not have to go to the city and go, ‘Oh, I need more people.’”
The event was hosted by the CCSO’s school resource officers, the “jewel” of the department, who coordinate with the Carson City School District and respond to incidents on school sites, according to Furlong. The SRO program is funded partially by the city and the school district.
