Former Reno cop arrested in HEAT sting and the ‘No Kings’ rally: Reno’s top stories this week

Kristen and Bob give a rundown of the latest big news in Reno. We discuss the nationwide “No Kings” demonstrations, a regional child-exploitation sting that led to the arrest of a former deputy police chief, Washoe County’s move to dissolve its Department of Alternative Sentencing, an ethics case resolution involving a Sparks council member and questions over the library system’s funding. 

Recorded Oct. 20, 2025.

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“No Kings” rallies

• Large protests were held nationwide for the second time this year; organizers’ figures were debated, but Reno’s turnout was described as “thousands,” with no reported violence. 
• Demonstrators criticized what they said was increasingly authoritarian rhetoric and policies from the Trump administration.
• Notable visuals included inflatable-costume groups; online reactions were heated and, often, racist and unnecessarily antagonistic. 

HEAT sting & former deputy chief’s arrest

• A two-day regional operation by the Human Exploitation and Trafficking team and partner agencies led to 13 arrests, including retired Reno Police Deputy Chief Tommy Robinson. 
• Tactics described included undercover online interactions posing as minors; charges cited included solicitation, attempted sexual assault, luring, attempted kidnapping and drug offenses. 
• Discussion touched on Nevada’s age-of-consent law, how online conduct can alter legal exposure, and defense claims of potential entrapment—claims local judges have not generally embraced. 

Department of Alternative Sentencing to dissolve

• Washoe County commissioners voted to begin dissolving DAS after audits and investigations sparked months of turmoil; officials framed the move as efficiency-driven. 
• Employees and union reps argued staff were being penalized for leadership failures; public defenders supported consolidating pretrial supervision in one agency for consistency. 
• Next steps include ordinance actions and administrative work; Jan. 1 was mentioned as a target to finalize changes, though legal and political hurdles could extend the timeline. 

Ethics & Elections: Sparks Councilmember cleared in ethics probe

• Rodriguez, who faced an ethics complaint for appearing in uniform during a prior school-board campaign, was effectively cleared in a settlement following court proceedings. 
• The conversation contrasted his case—use of an existing job photo—against Governor Joe Lombardo’s separate matter involving a uniformed campaign production, which resulted in a payment to the state’s general fund. 
• Broader context questioned whether the state ethics commission acts with sufficient teeth compared with standards in other professions. 

Library system’s uncertain horizon

• The Washoe County Library system advanced a budget that relies on the remaining “expansion fund” to keep branches open and fill vacancies in the near term. 
• Concern centered on what happens after those dollars are exhausted (around FY27), while there is leadership instability. 

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This summary was generated with the assistance of AI and edited by us.

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