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Sheriff reports 3 recent suicides, rising overdoses and mounting pressures to transport detainees for inpatient competency treatment
Summary
The Elko County sheriff told the board the county saw three suicides over a recent weekend, rising overdoses often involving fentanyl, and prolonged waits to secure inpatient competency beds at state facilities, causing lengthy deputy transports and higher overtime and costs for the county jail.
The sheriff told the board that the county had three suicides in a recent weekend and that overdoses have risen this year; he said toxicology often shows fentanyl and methamphetamine and that the task force seized significant amounts of fentanyl. The sheriff described the operational strain of moving detainees who require inpatient competency treatment to state facilities (Lakes Crossing and Stein), now often as far as Las Vegas, producing 16–17 hour deputy workdays and increased overtime.
Judge Randall Soderquist explained that transfers to Stein or Lakes Crossing occur only after a judicial finding of incompetency and a determination that the person is a danger, and that those state facilities are run by the Division of Public and Behavioral Health. Board members suggested regional solutions and diversion options; the sheriff and other participants said capacity is a statewide problem and that local ideas — including a regional treatment resource — could be explored but would require substantial planning and funding.
