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. Buy a shirt : “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. Stay current on Reno news by subscribing to our free daily newsletter . This summary was generated with the assistance of AI and edited by us. Support the show

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Former Reno cop arrested in HEAT sting and the ‘No Kings’ rally: Reno’s top stories this week is an episode from This Is Reno Radio by This Is Reno.

This episode is 30:44 long.

This episode was published on Oct 24, 2025.

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