Fallon Police Department — small town service, big town qualifications

by Rachel Dahl --  Chief Kevin Gehman as been leading the Fallon Police Department since 2008. His department is 24 strong, with the addition of four staff who work at the animal shelter and six who work in dispatch. Gehman said the best thing about the department is all the things they do outside of regular policing. “If people realized the level of community service our officers provide outside of just answering calls, if you look at some of the things we do in community relations, people would be amazed at the things our guys are doing that no other agencies are doing.” He shared an experience where a lady came to council who had an old dog that could not get up the steps of her house and she had no one else who could help her. She reported to City Council and thanked them for the five different officers who came out five separate times and helped her get the dog up the steps. “There isn’t another department where any officer would go out to help an elderly lady get her dog upon the steps,” he said. In terms of what the department has done in community relations, Gehman said, “our survey results are almost 100 percent positive. The culture of the department is we truly feel like we’re public servants and our job is not law enforcement, it is public service and if that means we arrest someone when its appropriate then that’s a public service. A lady with her dog is public service. It really has a small town, little agency feel and that’s just the awesome part of this agency.” The department also provides a monthly welcome program to the personnel at the Fallon Naval Air Station, as an overview of the laws of Nevada and the local rules so visiting sailors get a sense of the law and the opportunities here. Officers talk about being able to go out into the desert and four-wheel and the laws that may be new, and that they don’t have to worry about some things. Gehman said the department has received certification from the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies. There are three municipal agencies in the state, Fallon, Metro, and Henderson that go through the process, which demonstrates that the department policies are the best practices in law enforcement. “Beyond that, the organization comes in and examines our data base,” said Gehman, “and we have to show proof that we are following those policies. We just had our review for this year and just got the report that we have passed our accreditation.” Mayor Ken Tedford is also very proud of the police department and said they are, “hard working and strive to do their very best. They often see just the bad side of life and it’s hard for them, but they all still do a very good job, they are great people and they honestly improve the quality of life in our community.” He also said the chief does a great job of leading the department, and is grateful for the work they have all done in achieving the CALEA certification. “That is an arduous process to achieve and I was proud of the work they’ve done. That certification is revisited every year and they continue to uphold their standards. Citizens of Fallon can be proud of what they have in this department.” “Our level of community engagement is the most special thing about this police department,” said Gehman.       Never miss a meeting or community event – keep an eye on the community calendar at https://www.thefallonpost.org/events/ If you like what we’re doing, please support our effort to provide local, independent news and contribute to The Fallon Post, your online news source for all things Fallon.