Carson City Sheriff Furlong names Ken Sandage as New Undersheriff

Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong has named Assistant Sheriff Kenny L. Sandage to be appointed to the position of Undersheriff in December.

Mr. Sandage will assume the duties and responsibilities vacated by retiring Undersheriff Steve Albertsen. Ken Sandage, a decorated 26 year veteran with the Sheriff’s Office, has held the executive administrative position of Assistant Sheriff since August 22, 2014.

He currently oversees the departments Operations Division, including the Patrol and Investigations units. Subordinate department functions of the two divisions include the School Resource Officers, Specialized Enforcement, Motor Traffic Management, K-9 Program, Forensic Laboratory, Evidence and Property Vault, and the departments Volunteer and Reserve Programs.

Kenny Sandage is a Carson City resident and United States Air Force veteran. He first made application with the Sheriff’s Office in November 1990, and was hired on July 26th, 1991.

First assigned to the Detention Division, Sandage completed his initial training and law enforcement certifications, and by the end of January 1993 was transferred to the Patrol Division.

Within several years, he earned a position in the Detectives Division and was later promoted to the grade of Sergeant on September 25, 1998. Within two months of Sheriff Furlong’s first term in office, Sandage was promoted by Furlong to Lieutenant on February 14, 2003.

As a mid-level department manager, Kenny Sandage’s career assignments have covered the entire spectrum of the department. He was assigned the responsibilities of Detention Manager in October 2003, and was later moved to Patrol Operations Manager in January 2004.

On December 18th, 2009, he was reassigned to manage the Operations Investigations Division. While assigned to the Operations unit, then Lieutenant Sandage was selected to be the first of the Sheriff’s administrative initiatives to provide advanced training through the FBI National Academy (FBINA) in Quantico, VA, for all mid-level law enforcement managers.

On September 3rd, 2004, Kenny graduated from the Academy and returned to his position over the Investigations team. Upon completion of the FBINA and with his Nevada Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) Executive Certification earned in February 2008, Sandage was re-designated to the grade Captain.

Under the current administration, the designation of Captain is awarded to Lieutenants, after having achieved the highest career development trainings, certifications, and successful completion of the FBI National Academy. Sandage’s role and active participation with the FBI and his fellow FBINA graduates continues strong today.

While responsible for the Investigations division, then Captain Sandage was assigned likely his most challenging career responsibility. This occurred on September 6, 2011, when as the business day began, automatic gunfire rang out at the IHOP restaurant leaving scores dead and wounded. At the scene, he was charged with Operational Command of numerous federal, state, regional and local resources, as well as producing the department’s investigation into the incident. While the IHOP certainly received intense coverage, before the week ended, he was required to oversee two additional Carson City major criminal case responses. His talents for organizational structure, assignment, and responsibilities were impeccable.

Assistant Sheriff Sandage's promotion to become the second in command of the Sheriff’s Office ensures continued strong stability, leadership, and vision within the organization. His extreme talents, knowledge and execution style of emergency management and Incident Command have long be utilized in many of the communities most severe disasters, just as in daily operations. With every assignment, Sandage has meticulously merged the resources of the agency with other entities to insure the highest levels of public safety have been met.

Sandage shares many visions with the Sheriff that are critical to Carson City and public safety. All aspects of law enforcement require the active attention to our daily circumstances, and a critical focus planning for the future needs of this community.

This is an essential component of the executive branch of the Sheriff’s Office and Sandage fits this challenge best. As the department enters into 2018, the staff and employees will say farewell to an old friend of many years and welcome the leadership of a new Undersheriff of impeccable talents and leadership.