Rural Nevada Abandoned: Nevada State Police Fail Mineral County

When a man was shot on a Nevada State highway, the very agency responsible for patrolling our
state’s roads refused to respond. This isn’t negligence – it’s abandonment.

As the Sheriff of Mineral County, I have a duty to protect my community, even now when I am
compelled to expose a critical failure in Nevada’s public safety system: the abandonment of 1ural
communities by the Nevada State Police. I have repeatedly reached out to the Governor’s Office for
answers, only to be met with deafening silence. That silence ends now.

Recently, within 48 hours, Mineral County faced two shootings. The second – a violent incident on
U.S. Highway 6 near the California border – demanded immediate attention. Naturally, I sought the
assistance of the Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP), who is responsible for safety on state roads. Their
response was shocking: “This is a county issue, not a highway patrol issue.”

Let that sink in. A shooting on a state highway, and the agency charged with protecting those roads
refused to respond. This is a blatant dereliction of duty and a dangerous disregard for the safety
of those traveling through our state. At·e our state highways no longer the responsibility of the
state? If the NHP won’t answer the call in a crisis, then what, exactly are they for?

But the failure didn’t stop there. I requested support from the Nevada Division of Investigation
(NDI) Major Crimes, an agency specifically designed to aid rural law enforcement with limited
resources in complex investigations. Their response? They were short-staffed and asked my office to
collect the evidence ourselves. Ifwe had the resources to do that, we wouldn’t be asking for their
help in the first place.

Mineral County Sheriff’s Office is already operating under severe strain. We are cu1Tently do\’\,n
seven deputies of our authorized strength of 20. We are doing more with less every day, yet, the
Nevada State Police are forcing rural agencies like mine to shoulder their responsibilities as
well. We don’t have the manpower or budget to pick up the state’s slack.

This crisis is not just about Mineral County, it’s about every rural community in Nevada being
abandoned and forgotten. The state’s refusal to provide public safety resources to 1ural counties
leaves our communities vulnerable and risks the lives of Nevadans.

I demand answers:

• Why does the Governor’s Office fail to address this crisis?
• Why is the NHP refusing to respond to violent crimes on state highways and shirking its
fundamental responsibility to ensure public safety on state highways?
• Why is NDI Major Crimes unable to fulfill their responsibility to rural counties?
• What financial assistance will the State of Nevada provide to rural counties to compensate for
the services the Nevada State Police fail to provide?

111e safety of Mineral County residents and the thousands who travel through our con101unity is
non-negotiable. We cannot and will not accept this level of neglect. The state 1nust act now to
restore public safety in rural Nevada.

Bill Ferguson, Sheriff Mineral County