It is a well-established principle that if a man builds himself a fine house, stocks it with all manner of furniture, and then hires a burglar to stand watch at the door, he oughtn’t be too surprised when he wakes up one morning to find the whole place stripped bare. Yet, the fine gentlefolk of Nevada’s 2021 Democrat-led legislature managed to outdo even this level of folly, for they have not merely hired the burglar but dismissed the watchman altogether, leaving the state’s roads to the mercy of chance, recklessness, and the occasional guardrail.
The Nevada State Police, tasked with keeping the highways in a respectable state of order, are in such dire straits that they could hardly fill a single dance hall, let alone police an entire state. Where there ought to be 400 troopers, there is scarcely half that number.
In Reno, one finds just 25 troopers struggling to cover ground meant for 60. Carson City, which might reasonably expect 20, must make do with less than 10. And Las Vegas—where a surplus of vices demands a surplus of enforcement—has only 50 troopers where there should be 120. If a major crash occurs, as they often do, the entire force flocks to the scene like hens at feeding time, leaving the rest of the state as unguarded as a pig in a butcher’s shop.
One might ask how a state so bountiful in gambling revenue and political ambition could have created such a catastrophe. As it is in most cases, the answer lies in misplaced priorities and a curious disdain for those tasked with keeping order.
In the heady days of 2021, the Democratic majority in Carson City, in their zeal to prove themselves champions of progress, took to treating law enforcement not as the necessary bulwark against disorder but as an unfortunate relic of a bygone era. Their anti-policing rhetoric—so high-minded, so fashionable, and so utterly divorced from reality—laid the foundation for the crisis unfolding on Nevada’s roads.
Of course, as any honest person will tell you, a profession loses its appeal when underpaid and unwelcome. A state trooper in Nevada finds themselves in the unenviable position of making less money than his city-bound counterparts while being taxed at a rate that would make a gold miner weep.
With the state unwilling to pay its share of retirement contributions, troopers see nearly a third of their paychecks siphoned off before they can even buy a pound of bacon. And as the cost of living soars to heights previously reserved for eagles and the ambitions of officeholders, young troopers find themselves unable to afford so much as a patch of dirt in the state they are meant to protect.
The solution, if common sense were in fashion, would be a simple one–pay them what they are worth, restore respect to their station, and end the folly that has made a career in law enforcement a punishment rather than a profession. Whether the legislature will come to such a conclusion before the state’s highways descend into complete chaos remains to be seen.
But for now, any Nevadan venturing onto the roads would do well to keep a steady hand on the wheel, for if trouble comes calling, it may be a long wait before help arrives.
The Old Blog in the Desert 
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