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.
A police force that only interacts with the community during crime events is not truly engaged with residents, Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong maintains about the upcoming Sheriff’s Night Out event.
Entering its 20th year — and scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 1 at Mills Park — Sheriff’s Night Out has been a way for the Caron City Sheriff’s Office and a host of organizations to bond with residents, build memories and a sense of community, Furlong said.
“Together all in one spot on the grass of Mills Park, the families and friends of Carson City can access so many resources and realize that the coined phrase of ‘it takes a community’ is truly the thrust in this community,” Furlong said. “With all of the information and education available, it’s hard to imagine that anyone in Carson City can be left behind.”
When he was elected in 2003, one of Furlong’s goals was to better engage with the community, he said.
“Among other opportunities, National Night Out was one of the original features where the sheriff’s administration brought the community and sheriff’s deputies together to learn more about one another and the department’s functional responsibilities,” he said.
Furlong noted National Night Out is a worldwide event celebrated on the first Tuesday of August to raise awareness of crime in communities.
“Over the years and up to the 2019 celebration immediately preceding the (COVID-19) pandemic, the National Night Out celebration continued to grow and mature into one of Carson City’s yearly largest displays of public safety services and ally organizations,” he said. “However, with the greatest participation came challenges that were unexpected. The theme of National Night Out, of giving crime a kick out of the community, was quickly outgrown. Carson City’s event had grown to include every aspect of public safety and community partnerships, not just crime.”
Furlong said the evolution of the event locally included city government, fire services, state and federal agencies, the National Guard, support organizations, nonprofits and businesses. He said following the pandemic, the event was rebranded to Sheriff’s Night Out.
“Enormously successful over the last 20 years, the event has only been rained out once,” he said. “During that rainy year, the adjustment was to take Sheriff’s Night Out to the Boys & Girls Club for a mini celebration with our children, who are essential to community relations.”
This year, participants can expect a display of lights and sirens and free hotdogs provided by Flocchini Sausage that will be “cooked up to perfection by the Elks Lodge members and served by employees of the sheriff’s office.”
“There are approximately 40 agencies expected to present educational information tables and equipment,” Furlong said. “Great past crowd and children pleasers include the Nevada State Police, Department of Wildlife, National Guard, Department of Corrections, Public Works, telecommunications agencies, Juvenile Justice, courts and the District Attorney’s Office, recreation and parks agencies as well as many others.”
The sheriff called Mills Park itself “a jewel recreational area in downtown Carson.”
“This location provides a foundation of fond memories of sporting and family activities,” he said. “The pleasures of Mills Park and sparks of community engagement in this area provide the greatest place to be in Carson at the moment.”
Furlong emphasized how important community is. He said law enforcement alone “cannot expect to build relationships in the community based on calls for service.”
“To begin building relationships after a significant event is a backwards approach of building trust and respect,” he said.
Furlong said bringing emergency responders out to meet the public helps the wellbeing of officers as well.
“Law enforcement agencies often see the worst of humanity in their daily responses, yet that is just a very small view of the residents and businesses operating here,” he said. “Bringing people together when there is no crisis at hand is where relationships are built, and Sheriff’s Night Out is Carson City’s premier opportunity to meet the challenges of police community relationships.”
The sheriff added, “Let’s all give public safety a thumbs up and display the traditional porch lights on for the evening supporting all of those who come to help us every single day of the year, regardless of the circumstances.”