Shannon Litz / Nevada AppealCarson City Sheriff Ken Furlong talks about the open space at the sheriff's office.
When Sheriff Ken Furlong and the new chief of the Nevada Highway Patrol, Troy Abney, had coffee last month, the sheriff
shared with the chief a vision of more tightly integrated law enforcement in Carson City.The idea is simple: the NHP substation,
currently located on Curry Street, would be moved inside the Sheriff's Office.Chief Abney, who describes himself as
a devil's advocate type, said, "I couldn't make an argument against it. It made too much sense."
Abney is familiar with the concept because of his work in the California Highway Patrol and the NHP station in Incline Village with
the Washoe County Sheriff's Office."The sheriff's vision is ahead of the curve. I have to hand it to him,
I was very impressed," Abney said.The possible benefits to the community range from convenience for community members to a
potentially higher level of public safety.For convenience, the sheriff's office, located at 911 Musser St., would be a one-stop
shop for law enforcement needs, Furlong and Abney said.If someone came in seeking, for example, an accident report, there would be no
re-direction to a different office. One of the main reasons people come to the office is to get such reports, Furlong said."Whoever
had responsibility of the issue would take care of it," Furlong said. "I just see the benefits as very,
very strong."When it comes to public safety, Carson City offers its own unique set of conditions. The city-county only has
one primary law enforcement agency, as opposed to many communities which have both a sheriff's office and a police department,
one which covers the city limits and the other which covers the outskirts."We have a confined geographical
region," Furlong said. "Very often, (deputies and troopers) have dual responsibilities."'Never
have to be alone out there'When most deputies and troopers run a single officer per car, working together can mean all the
difference. The NHP and the Carson City Sheriff's Office already have an incredibly strong working bond, Chief Abney said,
adding, "This will enhance an already great relationship."Moving the NHP substation into the sheriff's office
also helps both agencies do more with less, Abney said.Troopers often respond to sheriff's deputy's calls, providing
a second officer on a scene. By putting the substation into the sheriff's office, the two agencies can share intelligence
information and further protect one another. Abney stressed it will create better communication between the law enforcers as well as
the agencies.Although troopers are known for their work on the highways, they have the same training as any other peace officer, in
addition to their own specialized training. Although they may not go out on domestic dispute calls every day, it is something they can do,
Abney said."It's a great way to provide a higher level of service to the public," he said.Abney said he
hopes to have all the phones operating, agreements signed and the troopers settled in by June 30."We have a lot of steps to
go through," Furlong said. "We've put our principles down on paper."When all the paperwork is
completed, it should be a simple move, Abney said, adding, "It's no different than moving from one location to
another." Assuming everything goes as planned, the current NHP substation on Curry Street will instead house the Research
and Planning Department, currently housed at the Department of Public Safety Academy."It's putting stress on the
training division because it's the largest (class)" the academy has seen in years, and moving Research and Planning
will eliminate that point of stress, Abney said.
