LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A rural Nevada county sheriff has accused Nevada State Police of neglecting counties like his, prompting a response from the statewide legislation enforcement company.
In a letter posted to social media Friday morning, Invoice Ferguson, sheriff of Mineral County, accused the Nevada State Police Freeway Patrol of “abandonment,” citing an incident the place a person was shot on a freeway the place the sheriff mentioned NSP officers refused to reply.
“As the Sheriff of Mineral County, I have a duty to protect my community, even now when I am compelled to expose a critical failure in Nevada’s public safety system: the abandonment of rural communities by the Nevada State Police,” Ferguson mentioned within the letter.
Ferguson referenced one other capturing close to the California border the place he alleged that Freeway Patrol officers mentioned that the incident was “a county issue, not a highway patrol issue.”
“Let that sink in. A shooting on a state highway, and the agency charged with protecting those roads refused to respond,” Ferguson mentioned, calling the incidents a “blatant dereliction of duty and a dangerous disregard for the safety of those traveling through [Nevada.]”
The sheriff went on to lift a number of questions, together with the aim of the Freeway Patrol if it does not reply in a disaster. The letter went on to explain a “severe strain” inside the Mineral County Sheriff’s Workplace, calling the state of affairs a disaster that left rural communities “abandoned and forgotten,” risking lives.
The letter wrapped up with a requirement for solutions from the sheriff. These questions embrace:
Why does the governor’s workplace fail to deal with this disaster?
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Why is the Freeway Patrol refusing to reply to violent crimes on state highways and shirking its basic accountability to make sure public security on state highways?
Why is NDI Main Crimes unable to meet their accountability to rural counties?
What monetary help will the State of Nevada present to rural counties to compensate for the companies the Nevada State Police fail to offer?
In a response to Ferguson’s open letter, Nevada State Police (NSP) responded Friday afternoon, saying the group communicates with all legislation enforcement companions, together with the Mineral County Sheriff’s Workplace, on an ongoing foundation. The assertion admitted “resource constraints and staffing shortages” confronted by NSP and different businesses nationwide.
“This collaboration requires agencies to work together when requesting support from the State,” the assertion from the NSP mentioned. “It’s important to recognize that while the Nevada State Police gathers the necessary resources — such as troopers, officers, and detectives — to travel to a rural location, this process can involve travel time, as was the case with the recent Mineral County incident.”
Lastly, the NSP response dedicated to “prioritizing public safety,” promising collaboration with native legislation enforcement whereas staffing shortages persist.
A Feb. 14 report from 8 Information Now investigators revealed that almost half of all NSP Freeway Patrol trooper positions stay vacant two years after the Nevada Legislature labored to “solve” the staffing disaster.
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