Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong files for re-election

Sheriff Kenny Furlong filed for re-election this morning as the doors opened at the Recorders Office. The Sheriff stated that it was important to he and his family that the filing be done immediately on the first date for candidates, as this office is so critical to the welfare of the city.

Sheriff Furlong said that it has been an honor and a pleasure to fulfill the responsibilities of being the Sheriff of Carson City. He is proud of his Leadership Team and the enthusiasm and dedication of the department’s workforce.
Of his significant accomplishments during his present term of office has been the collaborative multi law enforcement agency cooperation that has been built. His department has met several high profile critical criminal incidents, the pandemic, social and political unrest over the past years.

In every case and challenge confronted, the Sheriff’s leadership has resulted in exceptional professionalism and integrity. Kenny believes that as he looks back at his past term of office, one of the highlights will include the exceptional way the departments inter-agency cooperation was executed, and the welfare of the community was continuously met.

Sheriff Furlong is proud of the internal accomplishments that have grown under his administration, capitalizing heavily on training, education, and experience levels. He noted recent department alignment changes that have been consistent with the community’s priorities.

Examples of the changes during the past four years have included an expanded fully staffed School Resource Officer program in collaboration with the School District, expanded commitment toward mental health response capabilities that now enjoys two full-time Mobile Outreach units, a solid Traffic Management and Enforcement Unit, and an effective Special Enforcement and Gang response program. Each of these units are tasked with meeting the priorities of the community geared toward safety and security of our families, businesses, and visitors.

Other similar programs maturing during his present term have included a strong intense response to address mental health issues. Today, experts in the field of crisis, mental health, and victimization can be found in designated units, in patrol cars, and at the detention facility. Together, these programs focus on the core issues of crisis, rather than the symptoms of the problem. As a result, the Sheriff is contributing directly to the quality of life of the community, families, and individuals.

Organizationally, the Sheriff has built priority crime response elements that target illegal drugs, gang activity, enhanced victim advocates, traffic management, and a responsive K-9 program. He has staffed regular uniformed and mounted sworn reserves, enhanced Aero and ground Search & Rescue, Volunteers in Police Services, youth cadets, RSVP volunteers, Veteran’s assistance, award winning crime prevention programs, Cops-N-Kids Street Fair, and more.

The Sheriff has committed himself and been a leader in the regional cooperative efforts to reduce the impact of crisis in the communities precipitated by mental health, participated in local service organizations including the Northern Nevada Regional Behavioral Health Taskforce, Ron Wood Family Resource Center, Rotary International, Capital City Circles, Senior’s and Public Safety (TRIAD), Partnership Carson City, the Nevada Humane Society, Community Counseling, and others. In total, the Sheriff is full-time committed around the clock to ensuring the department and community are well connected. Sheriff Furlong strives to ensure that law enforcement initiatives connect directly to the community needs and desires.

Sheriff Furlong is well known in the community for his high visibility on-duty and in uniform and working at every community event, his open-door access policies, and willingness to do everything in his power to engage the Sheriff’s Office with the community at every opportunity.

His leadership seeks to identify resolutions to challenges that arise in the community. His strong stance that the department be open and transparent has led to monthly postings of law enforcement educational and prevention topics through the press and social media outlets. A strong believer in the power of a village, he chooses to draw the public into the law enforcement agency and listen intently to the views of others. His presentation of the Sheriff’s Citizens Academy, delivered multiple times per year, is intended to educate, and advocate for the community on the law enforcement programs, and grasp opportunities where attendees provide valued feedback from their perspectives.

Believing that education and prevention are first options to public safety, the Sheriff continuously maintains a priority that employees are the most experience, educated, and career developed that the community could achieve. To this end, he is proud of the accomplishments the employees of the department achieve monthly. He provides, as an example, that the Carson City Sheriff’s Office is unmatched across the state with the number of division managers and chief staff that are certified by the State of Nevada Peace Officers Standards and Training for “Executive Certification” awards.

With the many successes that have been achieved, the Sheriff has continuously been mindful that Public Safety comes at a tremendous cost to the taxpayer. To avoid added burdens on businesses and families, he creates initiatives and responses that are transparent and conservative in cost. Similarly, the departments staff and employees continuously seek grant funding initiatives that allow and enhance for building success.

Among the Sheriff’s most proud accomplishments is the excellence achieved in staffing the Sheriff’s Office and promoting education, training, and experience for core foundations. The people of the Sheriff’s Office are challenged daily with the most complicated of issues. To ensure the community is served well, the Sheriff promotes off-duty education, career development, and experience across the spectrum. With these foundations, Deputies and civilians alike strive for accomplishing the mission, regardless of the circumstances presented. Today, when the public meets an officer, he or she is likely to have more experience and be better educated than in most jurisdictions.

Sheriff Kenny Furlong believes and promotes that the job is never finished, and an effective administration is continuously building and adjusting to new best practices and organizational excellence. The Sheriff, along with his executive and divisional managers are proud of the accomplishments of the front-line employees, and he looks forward to the challenges down the road.