The Washoe County Sheriff's Office has released its annual report, highlighting not only the positives of the agency, but the missteps as well. Sheriff Darin Balaam says he is proud of the team for what is has achieved but going forward he's focusing on what they can do better in 2026.
Balaam talked about embracing technology to keep his people and the community safer, as well as reducing use of force, and continuing to push for a downward trend in certain areas.
"We had eight homicides last year. One homicide, too many. And so, although our violent crime was down by, 2% or 1%, we want to drive those downs," said Balaam. "We don't want to lose anybody in our community. And so, what we're doing there is looking at where is our violent crime occurring?"
He is working with the office's intelligence and analyst teams to answer those questions and then address them at the root, which is likely something that will require partnerships with the community and other agencies.
"At the end of the day, our number one goal is to serve this community, protect it. And so, we may have some great tools here, but so does Reno, Sparks, NHP," said Balaam. "If we bring them all together, we're serving the same community. And that's what's important is working with individuals."
For a look at the report, follow this link:Â State of the Sheriff's Office Annual Report.
To hear more from Sheriff Balaam, watch the video above.
