New Storey County Sheriff Mike Cullen vows to improve traffic issues by collaborating with state, local agencies
Submitted by editor on Mon, 01/02/2023 - 5:40pm
Newly elected Storey County Sheriff Mike Cullen said his goals as he is sworn in this week will be to reduce traffic crashes and cut down on speeding drivers on the county’s roadways and reduce crime through increased vigilance.
He said he also intends to recruit and improve the volunteer program in the sheriff’s office.
Cullen garnered 1,290 votes to defeat Tony Dosen, who had 1,070 votes in November's midterm election.
“Thank you for your vote and if I did not earn your vote, I will work diligently to earn your trust and confidence as your Sheriff,” Cullen said.
“Storey County continues to boom. Our county is experiencing incredible growth and I’m very honored to be in this position at this time in history to work in developing positive changes with this unprecedented growth.”
Cullen said his highest priority is to ensure that present day policies and procedures are in place to help keep the public safe. He promised to bring modern training and equipment to the sheriff’s office to keep it operating in a professional manner.
“We have some great employees in the department," he said. “I will make certain that they get what they need to be effective and efficient.”
One of the top priorities in the county for Cullen is dealing with traffic-related issues in the Interstate 80 area, along with similar issues on state route 439. State route 439, also known as USA Parkway, is about 18 miles in length and leads to the Tahoe Regional Industrial Center.
The TRIC is home to the Tesla Gigafactory and has facilities for other high technology giants, such as Blockchain, Google and Switch. The industrial center makes up 65 percent of the land area of Storey County.
From the south, commuters can access the 4-lane roadway, which opened in 2017, from Lyon County via a roundabout on highway 50 in Silver Springs.
Drivers headed from either Storey or neighboring Washoe County, have 3 freeway interchanges to connect to the USA Parkway from I-80.
“If you watch the news or listen to the public safety radio scanners you will often hear of a crash in the I-80 corridor from Fernley to Sparks. These crashes happen nearly every day and are often fatal,” Cullen said.
One of the issues, Cullen explained, is that, even with the majority of Interstate 80 being located outside of the northern boundaries of Storey County, most of the on and off ramps enter into the county.
He said this creates a problem due to the on and off ramps being short in distance, making it difficult for motorists to safely merge onto the interstate.
Cullen, who was endorsed by the Public Safety Alliance of Nevada and the Carson City Sheriff’s Supervisory Association, said the problem is made worse when many drivers exceed the posted speed limit.
“I will specifically work with Lyon County and the Nevada State Police to enforce speed limits and traffic laws on State Route 439,” he said.
Cullen said he will use state grant funding to pay for increased patrols in area, in an effort to slow drivers down and to help educate them about safe driving habits.
“Traffic issues burden our public safety resources so as to limit their availability,” he added.
Cullen also promised to collaborate with Storey County Commissioners, who are already working on ways to tackle the traffic problems plaguing both Interstate 80 and USA Parkway.
“Hopefully, sooner than later, we can come to a resolution to solve some, if not all, of the safety concerns with the I-80 corridor,” Cullen said.
Attracting more officers to the Storey County Sheriff’s Office is another task Cullen intends to focus on. He said the county has openings, and will be recruiting.
“If you are of good moral character and meet our minimum standards, I encourage you to apply for our open deputy sheriff positions,” he said. Storey County is a beautiful and historic place to live and work.”
Cullen said there have been several residential burglaries in the north part of the county, mostly concentrated near the Truckee River. He said officers will work to bolster neighborhood watch programs and that he will work with district attorney Anne M. Langer to ensure that criminal investigations are done correctly and that cases are brought to prosecution.
“I plan to make it difficult for criminals to operate in Storey County,” he said.
Other plans Cullen said he will work on include expanding the volunteer program within the sheriff’s office. He worked with senior volunteers while employed at the Carson City Sheriff’s office, and said it is common practice to include citizens as part of the workforce.
Cullen said the senior volunteer program has lost some members this year and the program can be improved by better using the skills learned by the hard-working volunteers.
“I plan to begin recruiting and adding to the program so that others are able to be involved,” he said.
“I also know the current volunteers in Storey County have been an important asset to our community as well.”
Cullen explained that he has listened to suggestions volunteers have made to improve the program. He said he will check current policy and procedures and make changes as needed, so volunteers can keep contributing to the sheriff’s office.
Other changes Cullen said he plans are to create a high school cadet program at Virginia City High School, the only high school in Storey County. The school has just over 150 students.
Cadet programs are aimed at young adults who are interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement.
In addition, Cullen said he will improve the reserve deputy program, which has one member.
“Rebuilding the program will consist of creating policy and procedures where necessary and recruiting and training potential officers,” he said.
With just over 4,000 people, Storey County is the third smallest in the state, in terms of population.
The Tahoe Regional Industrial Center is in the northern portion of the county, in a section known as the River District, due to the Truckee River’s proximity. The region has a mix of industrial, residential, agricultural and commercial development.
Famous for the Comstock Lode, Virginia City is the county seat and has an estimated population of 773. The community, is home to the richest silver strike in Nevada, which was discovered in 1859.
While Virginia City is declining in population, the rest of Storey County grew at a rate of nearly 3 percent from 2010 to present.
Cullen has 31 years in law enforcement. He worked for the Carson City Sheriff’s Office in various positions for 30 of those years.
His work in the capital city included two years as a reserve deputy. He also worked as a community policing officer, and a patrol and training officer. In addition, Cullen worked as a detective, patrol sergeant and administrative sergeant in the department.
Cullen said he took his campaign promises to heart and has plans to take the necessary steps to make them happen.
“I will work every day to earn and maintain your trust and confidence, and ensure that your sheriff’s office is working to protect and serve you every single day on every single call,” he said.
