What is the Sheriff’s Advisory Council and the Street Enforcement Team?

Tim DeTurk, Capt. Jon Storke and members of the Street Enforcement Team of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office shared volumes of fascinating information with the Rotary Club of Minden this past week.

First, DeTurk discussed the Sheriff’s Advisory Council and answered questions about why it exists and what activities they fund. The Advisory Council began 20 years ago as a way for the community to support the Sheriff’s department for items for which the county can’t support. DeTurk is the Chair of the Procurement Committee and shared examples of items which have been purchased by the Sheriff’s Advisory Council:

Drones for Search and Rescue and law enforcement investigative purposes.

Supporting dogs

Submarine for underwater rescues (did you know the DC Sheriff’s Office has the deepest underwater rescue on record in the US. 1,511 feet deep?)

Reader boards

The latest request is for license plate readers at intersections to assist law enforcement with investigative purposes such as locating stolen vehicles and wanted persons. The next fundraiser for the Council will be held on March 22, 2025 at the Douglas County Community Center. Captain Storke shared that “the Advisory Council is invaluable to the Sheriff’s Department”.

Next, Captain Storke and the S.E.T team described the 3 areas under the responsibility of S.E.T - Drugs, Gangs and Human Trafficking. It was noted for each of these areas there are usually 2 routes into our area. First is the route from Mexico up through California to Sacramento and then to South Lake Tahoe. The second route is from Utah to Reno and then down to the Carson Valley.

With a goal of eradicating illegal drugs in the community, the SET unit spends its time limiting the use of the following:

Meth - the biggest drug coming in, mainly through the cartels. Often it is cut and laced with fentanyl which makes it even more addictive.

Fentanyl - mainly produced in China and comes up through Mexican cartels. Pills are extremely variable - some have zero fentanyl and others have lethal doses. The powder form is especially dangerous as a touch or inhale can be life threatening. In 2022, five deputies were hospitalized after unknowingly coming into contact with the powder version.

Mushrooms - mostly imported, the potency varies from a happy buzz to extreme hallucinogenic.

Black Market Marijuana - while the legal version is tracked from seed to sale, the illegal version can have a vastly higher THC. This version is the most commonly abused drug and a recent case involved Chinese Nationalists and human trafficking.

Other drugs seen in the county include Cocaine and Heroin (Heroin has become rare because fentanyl has flooded the market), and ecstasy. The SET now has a device called TruNarc. Which utilizes a laser to test narcotics so deputies need not to open baggies to test the product, thus keeping deputies more safe.

Gang Enforcement includes street/prison gangs, motorcycle gangs and graffiti. The street/prison gangs include juveniles in Mexican (Sorrenos, Nortenos), Black (Bloods), White Supremists and Native gangs and are becoming more prevalent in Douglas County. Most common gangs here include the Hells Angels, Mongols and PoBobs. Not all graffiti is gang related, but the community has helped significantly to paint over graffiti expediently.

Human Trafficking: S.E.T works hand in hand with its federal partners as well as the Reno HEAT Team (Human Exploitation and Trafficking). Undercover operations are utilized to capture subjects committing human trafficking crimes as well as to rescue victims of human trafficking.

Captain Storke shared that “Douglas County is a very safe community as the Sheriff’s Office is very proactive and works diligently to stifle crime and rid the community of any efforts of narcotics dealing.”