Today’s hearing held to abolish office of constable in Incline Village: The Washoe County Board of Commissioners heard a first reading of an ordinance to amend the Washoe County Code to abolish the office of constable in Incline Village. Other constables’ offices in Washoe County were abolished in 1998 as their roles in civil cases became obsolete with the expansion of local law enforcement. Two members of County Staff spoke in support of the Ordinance and were given an opportunity to make complete presentations on this matter while the Office of the Constable representatives were restricted to the 3 minute time limit allocated to public comment.
Per a staffing memo from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, most duties of the constable are routinely conducted by the Sheriff’s Office, including executing warrants, arresting offenders, and issuing citations. The constable also collaborates with the Incline Village Justice Court to monitor and administer substance tests to pre-trial defendants, and conduct civil services such as evictions, temporary protection orders, and red flag legislation. The memo states that these duties can easily be assumed by the Sheriff’s Office.
As a first reading, there was no vote required from Commissioners, and the code amendment will be heard at a second hearing on Feb. 8, and if approved at that point, the constable’s office would be eliminated at the end of the constable’s current term, Jan. 2, 2023.