Sheriff: Crime rate in Carson City down 17 percent in 2023

Calendar year 2023 marked the third year that the Carson City Sheriff’s Office has reported crime data through the National Incident Based Reporting System.

This reporting system became the new standard nationwide in 2020 and is the basis for what most know as the community “Crime Rate.” NIBRS crime reporting is broken into the three major categories including Crimes Against Persons, Crimes Against Property, and Crimes Against Society.

Related to these, for statistical purposes, the FBI defines Violent crime categories as Rape, Robbery, Homicide, and Aggravated Assault. Data from NIBRS reporting mechanisms is valued for law enforcement agencies and community leaders as they plan for the future.

The FBI and research centers identify several key factors that contribute to crime in a community. These factors include population density, youth concentration, economic conditions, stability of residents’ mobility, commuting patterns, and transient factors. It is important to note that there are other contributing factors that can influence the types of crime from place to place and during times of the year, including weather conditions and general education attainment.

During the past year, Carson City witnessed an overall Group A crime reduction of 17 percent as compared to 2022. This same trend was seen in the most critical category of Violent Crime. It is substantially good news for our residents, especially since media reporting of significant events, both nationally and locally, can often lead to negative assumptions.

Preliminary data from the Nevada Department of Public Safety Records Division suggests that the Carson City crime rate for 2023 will be approximately 4,929 per 100,000 residents. Regionally, inclusive of Carson and all counties boarding ours, the crime rate is anticipated to be slightly less at 4,547 per 100,000 residents, and well below the anticipated statewide rate of approximately 6,467 per 100,000 residents.

In 2023, the Carson City Sheriff’s Office responded to and documented a total of 1,335 Group A offenses. Crimes Against Persons recorded 848 offenses, down 2 percent from 2022. 71 percent of this category were Simple Assaults.

Crimes Against Property recorded 1,128 offenses, down 21 percent as compared to 2022. In this category, Vandalism and simple Larceny made up 60 percent of the offenses recorded, and Fraud accounted for 18 percent of the volume. In total, property and persons offenses reported in 2023 were down by approximately 14 percent from 2022.

During the past year, the Sheriff’s Office recorded 740 Crimes Against Society. This data reflected a decrease of 21 percent from 2022. However, approximately 90 percent of these offenses were attributed to proactively enforcing drug violations with the use of K-9 units and Special Enforcement Team (SET) specific directions from the Sheriff. This singular area of crime is troublesome as we move into 2024 as we discuss the occurrences of drug related deaths in the community.

The Sheriff’s Office has analyzed the three major areas of crime reported into NIBRS. Carson City recorded a crime rate of 1,534 Crimes Against Persons as compared to 1,564 in 2022. Similarly, the community rate of Crimes Against Property at 2,055 was down from 2022 at 2,550.

The Sheriff’s Office's aggressive proactive drug operations resulted in a rate of 1,339, yet this mark was also down from 2022 when the rate was 1,689. Although aggressive proactive drug enforcement has a negative effect on the overall Crime Rate, Sheriff Ken Furlong believes this is a necessary accomplishment for the health, safety and welfare of the community.

Far too often we see persons of good character fall to the addictive nature of drugs and without intervention, the challenges compound. For this reason, the use of Specialty Courts specifically designed to address this problem is strongly supported by the Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Furlong was likewise pleased with the Crime Resolution data for 2023. Resolution Rates for the Sheriff’s Office as reflected in the NIBRS data showed an overall crime resolution rate of 51 percent as compared to the regional average of nearly 37 percent and state-wide average of 33 percent.

This point of discussion is particularly important as the Sheriff’s Administration strives to be responsive to crime in the community and resolve issues as they come in.

In total during 2023, the department arrested 1,868 offenders: 1,478 adults and 390 juveniles. While adult arrests in 2023 marked a three-year low point, juvenile arrests marked a high point over the period 2020 to 2023. This trend has elevated the importance and need for upgrading the current Juvenile Detention facility in Carson City that often must rely on housing juveniles outside of the local area.

Summarizing the individual categories of community crime, Simple Assaults and Drug Violations made up approximately two-thirds of the total major crime reportable offenses. The Sheriff’s Office Special Enforcement Unit is the primary unit targeting drug offenses in the category of Crimes Against Society.

This effort is a direction of the Sheriff by use of specialized gang and narcotics deputies, as well as K-9-unit responsibilities. It is well known that drug addictions frequently contribute to other more serious crime in the community. Within the department’s effectiveness measures for Specialized Enforcement, the key indicator of success is measured by the reduction in Violent Crime.

Sheriff Furlong adds that locally he includes the offense of Burglary to the FBI’s list of Violent Crime. It is the responsibility of the Special Enforcement Team to reduce the occurrences of Violent Crime in Carson. From 2020 through 2023, the department’s tracking mechanisms have indicated a decline in violent crime by approximately 25 percent.

Over the last three years, the Sheriff’s Office has witnessed a decline in circumstances requiring law enforcement intervention. The decline in Law Enforcement Calls for service have been mirrored at the Public Safety Communications Center.

Locally monitored data indicate the demand has gone down by approximately 1.8% over the previous three-year period. That same decline has been recorded in the law enforcement call volume and 911 incoming calls at the communications center. This measured volume adds significant supportive data that crime reduction efforts are working and must continue.

Annually, the Sheriff’s Administration reviews the top reasons for law enforcement services during the year. In 2023, there were no crime specific crime report categories in the top 10 list of calls for service. The Sheriff views this report as a strong and leading indicator of the health, safety, and welfare of the community. Topping the list in 2023 were 2,464 welfare checks called in by concerned family and neighbors for the wellbeing of friends and family.

Also in the top three reasons for dispatching deputies was mental health details and unwanted persons calls for service. Welfare checks in the community have long been a top call type and the Sheriff hopes and encourages this community attribute trend to continue. However, what’s clear in this list is the growing number of Crisis Calls for Service reaching 966 in 2023. Elements of the Mobile Crisis unit, known as the Mobile Outreach Services Triage Team (MOSTT) consisting of two full-time units (Clinician and Officer) are dedicated to this growing demand.

Traffic management and congestion in Carson City over the course of 2023 remained a very high interest item throughout the year. This critical attention matter resulted from the numerous deaths on our roadways. The Sheriff’s Office responded to a total of 649 traffic accidents, 181 resulting in injuries and 7 resulting in fatalities. Of the fatalities, one resulted from an off-road accident and two were pedestrians.

Given that the department facilitates a full-time traffic management team, the deaths come as a great concern. In 2023, the unit issued 8,161 citations and over 5,500 warnings. Speeding violations topped the list as cause for citations, followed by expired or suspended registrations, drivers license violations and distracted driving/cell phone use. Although distracted driving is often noted as the causation of most accidents, during 2023 in Carson City, human error, such as following to close and failing to yield right of way, was the most frequently noted cause of the accidents.

While Carson City Coroner reports that we sadly lose approximately two persons a day in our community throughout the year, many that the Coroner’s Office sees are tragically preventable.

In 2023, the office documented 29 overdose deaths, more than a 50% increase over 2022, and more than doubling the number of overdoses in 2021.

Following autopsy results, the Coroner reported that 25 of the 29 overdoses in 2023 were related to the combination of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl, and 4 were strictly Fentanyl overdoses. The remaining overdose deaths were related to prescription medications. The Coroner also reported the loss of 23 persons to suicide in 2023. Of the 23 victims, 12 were accomplished with a gun, 6 by prescription drugs, 4 by hanging, and 1 as a result of asphyxiation. During 2023, a month did not go by without an overdose death, and suicides took place in every month except January and March.

In August of 2023, the community saw the highest count of suicides with 6 that month. Unlike the instances of overdoses, the rate of suicides in Carson City was within the average over the past three years. The Sheriff’s Office staffs two units, Special Enforcement and Mobile Crisis Outreach, that are staffed to respond to this need in the community. While the demand for services in both units continue to rise steadily, it is often noted that those who completed a suicide had no previous contact with the MOSTT unit. Suicide prevention and education are critical issues nationwide with innovative initiatives for outreach, including Carson City’s participation with 988 suicide hotlines.

While the highly addictive substance of methamphetamine continues to be a drug of choice in Carson City, a new trend has been recognized. Lateral probation agencies have reported that frequent positive urine tests for methamphetamine have also showed positive for fentanyl. The alarming factor in this deadly combination is that those testing positive for meth are often not aware that the drug they ingested also contained fentanyl. In response, the Sheriff’s Office ensures the widest availability of Narcan, which is used to counter the effects of fentanyl crisis overdoes.

While the Sheriff’s Office will continue to target and focus many efforts on the most serious of crime or circumstances that result in the loss of life or serious bodily injury, incidents of loss of monies remains very high on the list of priorities. The department has been regularly responding to incidents of Fraud resulting from scams by telephone and the internet.

Most frequently, the scams threaten some sort of legal consequences such as arrest if the victim does not comply. Sheriff Furlong always encourages persons receiving these threats to call the Sheriff’s Office, or at least tell a friend. In most cases, taking away the first-hand emotional drain of the threat will result in an immediate awareness that a scam is being perpetrated. In processing the scam reports, victims most commonly disclose that after paying the demand, they realized to late that the call or message was a scam.

Combatting the loss of life and crime in a general sense, the Sheriff’s Office anticipates growing the K-9-unit assignment in 2024 to its goal of 8 dogs. This will facilitate one full-time K-9 to both the Special Enforcement unit and every shift in the Patrol Division.

This increase will fill with confidence an around the clock support to Deputies responding to narcotics suspicions and gun related calls for service. As to the School District support, the recent addition of a specially trained K-9 for detections in the educational environment is steadfast. Unlike the other K-9’s staffed, the K-9 assigned to the school district maintains a certification for guns and marijuana to help secure our school properties and is child friendly for roaming the hallways.

While the Administration does not foresee an immediate increase in Mobile Crisis Team staffing, that feasibility is not far off in the distant future. With the two teams available today, it is difficult to image they will continue to be able to handle the growing volume of calls coming in for crisis support.

Looking deep into the causes of behavior and crime in the community, mental health appears to be one of the fastest growing demands for services and intervention in the community. To meet that demand, law enforcement and treatment partners must keep up with resources to meet and treat the needs in the community, as well as supporting our diverse juvenile population.

Sheriff Furlong’s optimism and enthusiasm for greeting the new year is high. The combination of community participation by “if you see it, report it”, along with greater coordination measures implemented in 2023 with our neighboring law enforcement agencies creates tremendous opportunities. Our goal is a safe and healthy community. Education and prevention measures are always at the forefront of the departments drive, but when enforcement is necessary, the staff and employees of the Sheriff’s Office remain eager to assist.

To contact our communications center for non-emergency circumstances, please call 775-887-2677 (COPS). Our Communications Operators will do everything feasible to respond immediately to whatever challenges are presented. To reach the Sheriff’s Office Administration and Services, please call 775-887-2500, or access our website, Sheriff’s App, or Facebook for more information.