Message of the Week 02/06/2026

Message of the Week 02/06/2026

The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office used to present a Citizens Academy to interested community members. The last Citizens Academy was held over a decade ago and had three attendees.

Commander Ortiz and the Volunteers in Policing wanted to bring back the Citizens Academy, to allow community members an inside peek at the Sheriff’s Office daily operations. The Volunteers and a few non-sworn members are attending the academy during its initial trial run, so it may be fine-tuned for the public and presented at a later date. The ten-week academy will follow this schedule/topics:

Sheriff’s Office Citizen Academy

Day: Wednesdays

Week 1

6:00–6:30 PM: Introduction & Welcome — Sheriff Brad Pope

6:30–8:00 PM: Detention & Jail Tour — Lt. John Vandiver

Week 2

6:00–6:45 PM: Agency Structure and Role — Cmdr. A. Ortiz

7:00–8:00 PM: Nevada Laws and Constitution — Cmdr. A. Ortiz

Week 3

6:00–6:45 PM: Dispatch Job and Role — Eric Engelman

7:00–8:00 PM: Dispatch Tour — Eric Engelman

Week 4

6:00–6:45 PM: Records / CCW — Colleen Straub & Jen Moore

7:00–8:00 PM: K9 — Sgt. M. Galvin

Week 5

6:00–6:45 PM: Patrol / DUI / Traffic Enforcement — Sgt. Redmond

7:00–8:00 PM: SWAT / CNT — Sgt. S. Joyner & Dep. Wade

Week 6

6:00–6:45 PM: Use of Force / Defensive Tactics — Lt. B. Willey

7:00–8:00 PM: Taser / OC / ASP — Lt. B. Willey

Week 7

6:00–6:45 PM: Detectives – Job and Role — Lt. T. Joyner & Sgt. Kusmerz

7:00–8:00 PM: Coroner — Dep. Tafelmeyer

Week 8

6:00–6:45 PM: SIU / Gangs — Sgt. Baugh

7:00–8:00 PM: Active Shooter — Dep. D. Boyer & Sgt. Joyner

Week 9

6:00–6:45 PM: Drone Role / Deployment / Demonstration — Sgt. W. McDaniel

7:00–8:00 PM: Search and Rescue (SAR) Role & Deployment — Sgt. W. McDaniel & SAR Team

Week 10

6:00–6:45 PM: Graduation — Sheriff Brad Pope

7:00–8:00 PM: Final Address — Mike Navin

Our presence in the community has grown substantially over the past three years, and we continue to look for opportunities to partner with our communities. Citizen academies are important for law enforcement because they build trust, transparency, and mutual understanding between agencies and the communities they serve. When done well, they become a long-term investment in public confidence rather than a short-term outreach event. If this goes well, we are hoping to run a second academy this year!

Respectfully,

Sheriff Brad Pope