Lyon County, Nevada ~ Sheriff Pope’s Message of the Week ~ March 3, 2023

I want to express my sincere condolences to the families, first responders, and community effected by the tragic loss of life that took place due to the medical transport plane crashing in Lyon County. The entirety of the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office is with you. Staff from the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office will attend a memorial this evening at the Carson Tahoe Hospital.

A downed aircraft in any jurisdiction is a challenge. I want to commend the Deputies who were first to arrive on scene and begin searching for the aircraft. The Deputies were able to locate the aircraft in “whiteout” conditions and safely assess the scene. There are many variables in an operation such as this that will not be discussed at this time. However the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, and Central Lyon Firefighters have received numerous compliments on our professionalism and the way the scene was handled. The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office Auxiliary Patrol (VIP’S) provided scene security to relieve Deputies who are already worn thin. Their professionalism in the matter has not gone unnoticed either.

Tragic events such as this, echo throughout the entire first responder family and community, reminding us that events such as this can happen at any time, and yet brave men and women still answer the call to serve. Again, please keep the families and communities effected in your thoughts and prayers.

I have attached the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office response times to this message of the week. We have been able to reduce response times dramatically since 2022. The average response time, over the last two months has been extremely positive. We have seen further reduction of response times, in areas of the County that were astronomical in the past. Restructuring the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office is a part of the reason for the reduction, but the main cause of the reduction is the hard work put forth by Lyon County Sheriff’s Office Deputies and Dispatchers. They continue to work hard even though they are understaffed and called upon to work extra shifts regularly. I am extremely proud of their work product.

We are working to increase our staffing levels in the Patrol Division. We currently have eight brand new Deputies in field training, and several going through the background process at the moment. All 8 Deputies will have to attend a POST law enforcement academy, but we are confident in their abilities. I understand that it is not sustainable to continue doing “more with less” and we work daily on recruitment into the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office.

Lyon County School Board, Fernley City Council, Stagecoach Citizen Advisory Board , Moundhouse Citizen Advisory Board and the Board of County Commissioners meeting. Myself or a member of the administration will continue to attend these meetings. Thank you for taking the time to read this message.

Sheriff Brad Pope