Nancy Chapman
After nearly 42 years in law enforcement, 37 of those with the Fallon Police Department, Chief Ron Wenger is hanging up his badge. His retirement on Aug. 8, 2025, marks the end of a career focused on service, community, and dedicated to strong partnerships.
During his retirement party last week, Wenger was quick to thank Mayor Ken Tedford and the City of Fallon for “giving me and the other officers a great opportunity to serve the community.” He also credited the close working relationships with the Churchill County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Richard Hickox, Nevada Highway Patrol, Tribal Police, Parole and Probation, and other agencies.
“The safety drills we’ve done with the city, the county, TCID, Naval Air Station Fallon, Banner Hospital, Kennametal, CC Communications, and the Fallon Tribe — all of that has contributed to the safety of our citizens,” he said. “It’s been an honor to work alongside these agencies.”
Wenger first came to Fallon in 1983 as a machinery technician with the Coast Guard at the Soda Lake Loran Station. Interested in law enforcement, he joined the Fallon Police Department as a reserve officer while still on active duty. His commanding officer allowed him to serve the department as needed, giving him a front-row view of the work.
After leaving the Coast Guard in 1985, Wenger was hired full time by Fallon PD and attended Nevada POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training). Four years later, his father’s declining health took him to Merced, Calif., where he joined the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office. California required its own POST certification, so Wenger completed a 21-week academy in 1990.
Five years later, he returned to Nevada — and to Fallon. “Chief Dale Carr reached out and said they had a position open. Through a critical-need process, I was able to come back,” Wenger said.
Over the years, Wenger served under three mayors, Merton Domonoske, Bob Erickson, and Ken Tedford, as well as six police chiefs. He worked his way from patrol officer to corporal, then detective, before being appointed captain in 2013. In 2023, Mayor Tedford named him chief.
His most memorable case? “The two Wells Fargo Bank robberies — one at the satellite office and the other at the Safeway branch,” he recalled. “I was a detective at the time and followed both cases from the crime through to the conviction.”
The worst case was the beating death of a young girl by her mother’s boyfriend. “That one stuck with me for many years,” he said. The suspect remains in prison.
Asked whether it was difficult to arrest a friend, Wenger didn’t hesitate: “No. They made the decision to put themselves in that position. I had to do my job. If they wanted to keep the friendship afterward, fine. If not, that was their decision.”
As chief, Wenger attended the 10-week FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va. “It was one of the best programs I’ve ever participated in,” he said. “It gave me 211 peers I can call to talk through challenges.”
He pointed to several positive changes during his tenure, including reinstating School Resource Officers at Churchill County High School and Middle School, implementing Lexipol, a policy and training resource that helps officers stay current on constitutional law, civil rights, and best practices, and securing funding to upgrade the dispatch center to improve communication between officers, other agencies, and dispatchers.
Wenger leaves the department in the hands of Chief Daniel Babiarz. “I’m happy Chief Babiarz will be leading the department,” Wenger said. “I’m looking forward to fishing, golfing, and traveling with my beautiful wife, Katrena.”
After nearly four decades of service, his legacy is one of dedication to Fallon, to his fellow officers, and to the safety of the community he’s called home.
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