Sheriff Pope’s Message of the Week on September 12, 2025

In my messages of the week, I avoid national issues and focus on local issues affecting Lyon County and the community stakeholders. Events that have transpired over the last week in our Country, and the remembrance of September 11th, make that impossible this week. I have a lot of thoughts on the subjects below; however, I will keep this short.

Nearly our entire Country watched video footage of two public executions. One of a woman murdered in cold blood, and the second of a political assassination at a college campus in Utah. Both are extremely hard to watch; for some. These two killings even overshadowed another school shooting.

As a Country, we have become desensitized to real violence, real murder, so much so, that some people cheered a political assassination. Additionally, a large contingent of people have become accepting of crime as being an everyday part of life, this had led to softer criminal penalties, “bail reform,” and allowing dangerous people who should be incarcerated access to our communities.

Bail reform and eliminating bail from the justice system are dangerous. It shows across the Country and right here in Lyon County. I understand the intent, not everyone can afford bail, but a “cookie-cutter” approach of demanding almost no person should remain in custody awaiting trial is not effective. In the name of “fairness,” repeat criminals are released daily, with a promise to appear at their next court date, unacceptable.

I had the honor of being the keynote speaker at the Nevada Veterans Coalition; 9/11 remembrance ceremony in Fernley. I was asked to emphasize first responders; this was a hard, emotional speech to give. As always, it was a well-attended and honorable event. Like every year, the Veterans Coalition does an excellent job honoring those who perished on September 11th, 2001.

Today is September 12th, twenty-four years ago, our Country came together, United. Today, that may seem like an impossible task, but we have to find a path towards that same level of unification.

I will end this message the same way I ended my speech yesterday:

May the memory of the fallen guide us. May their courage inspire us. And may we, as a nation, live each day worthy of their sacrifice. God bless our troops, God bless our first responders, God bless America, God bless the State of Nevada.

Respectfully,
Sheriff Brad Pope