Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Reno police report crime declines downtown and pilots prisoner transport to free patrol time
Summary
Reno Police Chief Nance said violent crime metrics are down and described new downtown teams—0(MET) that have produced arrests and seizures; a prisoner-transport pilot saved patrol hours, and staff proposed a reserve-officer program and other measures to add downtown walking patrols without diverting sworn patrol.
Reno Police Chief M. Nance told the council the department has seen measurable drops in serious crime and traffic collisions even while staffing remains constrained.
"We—ve had 54% fewer homicide cases year to date," Chief Nance reported, and he cited reductions in injury shootings and collisions. Nance described two Mobile Engagement Teams — a walking team and a bike/evening team — that together have made more than 700 arrests, issued roughly 1,300 citations and seized narcotics and firearms while logging nearly 5,000 community engagements.
Chief Nance also outlined a prisoner-transport pilot the department ran to reduce patrol time spent on jail logistics. The pilot completed nearly 60 transports across 11 shifts and saved about 90 patrol hours compared with using patrol officers for book-ins; Nance said a part-time dedicated team or a reserve-officer program could replicate that benefit for roughly $50,000 a year in recurring costs (instead of repeated overtime).
Council members pressed for additional downtown walking patrols and emphasized RDA funding as a potential source for targeted downtown enforcement. Nance cautioned that moving patrol officers downtown reduces response capacity elsewhere and said the reserve-officer idea and other specialized roles (real-time information center staff, evidence/property clerks) could shift lower-level tasks off sworn officers so patrol remains focused on violent crime responses.
The council voted to direct staff to explore expanded policing and community engagement resources for downtown and to return with proposals including revenue and staffing options.
