Carson City Sheriff: Stalking reports raise safety concerns, heighten sensitivity

A recent string of reported stalking incidents around Reno and Sparks over the past few weeks has led to increased vigilance locally, Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong said, raising concerns over personal safety.

"We are aware of the reports of incidents regarding stalking in Reno that have been received," he said. "Likewise, we are aware that social media has re-broadcast these precautions quite broadly."

Furlong said the reports have heightened sensitivity levels throughout the community, including within local law enforcement agencies.

"People have become hyper-sensitive, and that includes our officers here at the sheriff's office," he said. "Everyone is sensitive, from our patrol division to people in the community."

The sheriff said increased sensitivity levels are in response to the stalking incidents being reported out of Washoe County. They are unrelated to violations of stalking or harassment orders, which the Carson City Sheriff's Office responds to routinely, he said.

"It's very important for everyone to understand that our comments are in relationship to these incidents that have been reported out of Reno," he said. "They have nothing to do with stalking and harassment orders. We get complaints on those all of the time, and our officers respond to them."

In a statement to the media, the Reno Police Department (RPD) said the reported stalking incidents are currently being investigated as top priority. However, none of the incidents have been substantiated as criminal activity.

"It is important to emphasize that investigators have been unable to substantiate any crimes in these incidents," RPD said. "None of these incidents have otherwise involved attempted or actual contact or crimes."

Although some of the stalking incidents may be related, RPD said no connections have been confirmed yet.

Most of the reported incidents have occurred during the day in parking lots of large retail centers, gas stations or casinos, RPD said.

RPD said that while its investigators have ruled nothing out at this time, the circumstances surrounding several of the reported stalkings bear resemblance to a widespread, nationwide scam in which suspects approach people in parking lots, identify damage to a vehicle and offer a cheap “on the spot repair” that turns out to be fraudulent.

"These individuals frequently target women in large parking lots," RPD said. "These types of incidents are common across the nation and usually involve a traveling group. It is possible that at least some of these incidents involve a similar type scam."

Investigators are also coordinating with a federal sex-trafficking task force, RPD said, but the reported modus operandi of the stalkers is not consistent with typical sex trafficking incidents.

"It also remains possible that some of these incidents involve targeting of vehicles or persons for crimes such as burglary or robbery," said RPD, which emphasized that investigation of these stalking reports is currently tantamount.

"The Reno Police Department has made investigating these incidents a top priority," the department said. "They are coordinating efforts with the Regional Crime Suppression Unit, Street Enforcement Team, and other departmental assets, Northern Nevada Regional Information Center, and local and federal agencies."

Sheriff Furlong stressed the Carson City Sheriff's Office is taking these reports very seriously, too, even though there have not been any substantiated crimes related to them.

"I am not aware of any circumstance where anybody has been touched or harmed," he said.

But sensitivity to the topic is very real, Furlong said, and the sheriff's office will continue responding to calls in which a person feels unsafe.

"We are very well aware that many people are sensitive to this issue and topic right now," he said. "There's a fundamental understanding that if you feel uncomfortable, you probably have a reason to be."

The sheriff said there are basic protection measures to follow if a person finds him or herself in a potentially unsafe situation.

First get away from the situation and find safe place. But never go home when you feel unsafe or in danger.

"If you feel that someone is following you, get to a safe place, but do not go to your house," Furlong said. "Do not go home until it is established that you are safe and fine."

Go to the nearest safe place instead, he said.

Safe venues include the sheriff's office or other law enforcement agency, fire department stations, or other locations where there are people who can render assistance to you.

Even stores and places of business can be utilized as safe spaces until the danger has passed, Furlong said.

"Go back into the store and report it to the people who work inside," he said. "Report it to a store manager or security officer right away."

Then contact local law enforcement authorities and report the incident, Furlong said.

"Report that event so that we can get officers to the area," he said.

The sheriff said Carson City is one of those places where folks seem to look out for one another, and that's a feather in the community's cap when it comes to crime prevention.

"I want to reiterate to everybody, especially here in Carson, this is a very community-oriented environment," he said. "You can virtually walk into any store anywhere, even if you came from somewhere else, and those people who work there will help you."

The recent string of stalking incidents in the Reno and Sparks area has gone viral on social media, Furlong said, appearing to cause a great deal of angst for which there have been no substantiated crimes committed.

"Everyone nowadays is watching (on social media), and that's a good thing," he said. "But it can become over-alarming to people when the circumstances don't warrant it."

The result has been conclusions that people are now endangered in area parking lots and businesses, Furlong said.

"It is well to understand that all the law enforcement agencies are communicating," he said. "There aren't any incidents to my knowledge as of this moment of anyone being accosted."

That said, however, Sheriff Furlong stressed people should not let their guards down, either.

"Awareness is the pill you want to take," he said. "It acts as a preventative reminder that anywhere you go, you can become a victim if you don't keep your eyes open, and you are not aware of your surroundings."

As Northern Nevada transitions into fall, Furlong said seasonal outdoor activities can leave the door open for unsafe situations.

"We've got kids on the streets for Halloween, we've got Thanksgiving and Black Friday," he said. "All of these events offer a great reminder of situational awareness: What are you doing, and how vulnerable are you while you are doing it?"

If you think you are being followed or someone is placing you in an unsafe situation, find the nearest safe place and either dial 9-1-1 or call the Carson City Sheriff's Office non-emergency dispatch line at 775-887-COPS (2677).