DPS

The Department of Public Safety will host a “Meet and Treat” on Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. at the DPS Headquarters office located at 555 Wright Way in Carson City.

The Director of the DPS James Wright along with DPS headquarters personnel is hosting a “Meet and Treat” for the Boys & Girls club, Big Brothers and Sisters, Domestic violence advocates and the Health and Human Services for Foster Kids.

A 53-year-old man was arrested Thursday in the 100 block of East Long Street after he allegedly attempted to burglarize two cars in the parking lot of the Nevada Parole and Probation office, a Carson City sheriff's deputy said.

Arrested was Robert Allen Stewart on two felony charges of attempted vehicle burglary and a gross misdemeanor charge of possession of burglary tools. He's being held on $12,500 bail.

Natalie Wood, a training division commander for the Nevada Department of Public Safety was appointed chief of the Division of Parole and Probation. She replaces Bernie Curtis who retired last month. Wood began her duties Monday.

Chief Wood joined the Department of Public Safety in 1999. She began with the Division of Parole and Probation, rising to the rank of Lieutenant before transferring to the Training Division as the Commander.

If you were able to stop by the Nevada Department of Wildlife headquarters office in Reno in the early morning hours before the doors open to the public at 8 a.m. you would most likely find Shawn Espinosa, wildlife staff specialist responsible for the Upland Game Program, at his desk.

The same would be true if you poked your head in his door well after closing. After a while you would have to wonder, “Does this guy ever go home?”

A 48-year-old transient wanted by authorities after violating conditions of parole as a sex offender was stopped Wednesday on a traffic violation and took off running from Carson City deputies resulting in a search through neighborhoods, businesses and an RV park.

Robert Lee Lyons Jr. was arrested at 7:13 p.m. in the 2400 block of Michael Drive. He faces a felony charge of violation of parole as a sex offender, and six misdemeanor charges, including obstructing police officers.

A man wanted as a fugitive after being convicted in 1976 of second degree murder of a child in Carson City has been arrested, the Nevada Division of Parole and Probation reports.

Wanted fugitive Eric William Zessman, 59, was arrested in Las Vegas. Zessman was convicted of the second degree murder of a child in Carson City in 1976. He was first paroled in 1981, and in each of his six parole releases since that date he became a fugitive or committed new crimes.

The Nevada Department of Public Safety announced it has put in place additional safety efforts and reminds the public to alert law enforcement of any suspicious activity.

In a news release issued late this afternoon, DPS said law enforcement agencies statewide take all direct and indirect threats very seriously and will continue to be proactive with security and enforcement strategies.

As a precautionary measure, the DPS is collaborating with federal officials to monitor and implement additional safety efforts after today’s tragic event in Boston, the release states.

CARSON CITY — Beginning today, Nevada no longer recognizes Arizona's concealed weapons permits, the Nevada Department of Public Safety announced.

At a Feb. 28 meeting of the Nevada Sheriffs’ and Chiefs’ association, the groups unanimously agreed to end the recognition of concealed weapon permits. According to a news release, the action was taken in accordance with Nevada Revised Statue 202.3689.

Telephone and communication upgrades at the Nevada Department of Public Safety may interfere with communication calls with dispatch on Saturday.
The repairs are schedule to take place through noon Saturday and there is a possibility the NHP emergency line may be down during this time, said NHP Trooper Chuck Allen.

Two people were arrested in Reno early Wednesday morning and face multiple felony charges after being found driving a car stolen from Carson City, the Nevada Highway Patrol reports.

Arrested were Samuel Phompadith, 31, and Jennifer Violet Peters, 30. Both are from Reno. The 1993 Honda Civic they had been driving had been originally reported stolen by the owner earlier this month to the Carson City Sheriff’s Office, said NHP Trooper Chuck Allen.

With requests for children's Christmas gifts soaring over the past three years, the Toys For Tots program in Carson City got a healthy boost courtesy of the Capitol Police division of the Nevada Department of Public Safety.

For the past several weeks Capitol Police officers and Nevada Department DPS staff members have been collecting new unwrapped toys, bicycles and warm clothing in Carson City to assist the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves with its the Toys for Tots collection drive effort.

The Nevada Department of Public Safety, Division of Parole and Probation and Carson City authorities have again launched Operation Scarecrow, a program eight years running that targets sex offenders and predators during Halloween.

Operation Scarecrow's purpose is to ensure there is no contact between division supervised sex offenders and children. Law enforcement will provide enhanced community supervision and give specific direction to high risk and high profile sex offenders, said DPS Spokeswman Gail Powell.

CARSON CITY – Two top state law enforcement positions have been filled by the Nevada Department of Public Safety (DPS).

Troy Abney was named as chief of the Nevada Highway Patrol after a national search. Abney has 28 years of law enforcement experience, including serving as the assistant chief of the California Highway Patrol where he led 786 sworn and non-sworn members.

The Tri-NET Narcotic Task Force, working in conjunction with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Street Enforcement Team (SET), the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Investigators, and the Santa Cruz California Police Department arrested 26 year-old Joseph Perez and 25 year-old Oscar Madriz, both of Santa Cruz, California, on charges of trafficking and sales of cocaine. The arrests were made on March 2.

Several personnel from the Nevada Highway Patrol will each be awarded a Commendation Medal this Friday for their timely, professional and outstanding performance they displayed on the morning of September 6th, in Carson City.

Shortly before 9:00 am that morning, the Nevada Department of Public Safety-Communications Center began receiving information of an active shooter near the International House of Pancakes (IHOP) restaurant on South Carson Street.

A fatal crash on Highway 395 at Airport Road in Douglas County remains under investigation by the Nevada Highway Patrol.
Here is the text of an NHP news release sent today:

CARSON CITY — The Nevada Sheriffs’ and Chiefs’ Association members agreed at a meeting last month to recognize the carry concealed weapon permits of 15 states as being valid in Nevada beginning July 1.

The states agreed to at the May 5 meeting are: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee and West Virginia, according to a news release submitted by Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong.

With falling and blowing snow throughout Northern Nevada earlier today, troopers from the Nevada Highway Patrol were kept busy by responding to several calls for service this morning, Trooper Chuck Allen reports.

In a six-hour timeframe between 4 am to 10 am, 19 motor vehicle accidents were investigated, 17 slides-offs or spin-outs were reported and the Department of Public Safety-Communications Center fielded 298 phone calls.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons today announced the retirement of Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Jerry Hafen. Hafen is a life-long resident of Clark County and was appointed to the top job at the agency in early 2008.
He will step down Dec. 31.
“Jerry Hafen has proven to be a respected leader in law enforcement in Nevada and I am proud of his accomplishments as DPS Director,” Gibbons said. “Jerry has proven time and again that the safety of the citizens of Nevada is his top priority.

A major drug operation east of Carson City was brought down late Tuesday with 10 arrests, two being juveniles, the Nevada Department of Public Safety reports.

The bust happened at around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and involved multiple law enforcement agencies that resulted in the execution of four search warrants and 10 arrests and the confiscation of 1502 grams of drugs, including more than three pounds of methamphetamine.

After a summer that netted 15,000 marijuana plants on public lands that extended over four Nevada counties, the state's Department of Public Safety urges caution as hunters head for the woods and secluded places this fall.

Marijuana grows and other illegal enterprises are being encountered on public lands with increasing frequency, according to the department.