Former LCSO undersheriff retires after 25-year career

Robert Perea, The Fernley Reporter

Looking back on his 25 years as a sheriff’s deputy, Albert Torres can’t pinpoint any one case, or single out any specific incident, as a highlight of his career. Instead, he says, he’s proud of having spent 25 years helping people.

“I think my whole career was a highlight,” he said. “Definitely more highs than lows.”

Torres retired from law enforcement effective Aug. 2, having spent 23 years as a deputy with the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, and the last two as a deputy with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

“Probably the biggest thing out of all of it, is that it’s really rewarding to know you made a difference,” Torres said. “I see people I helped on a call 15 or 20 years ago, or their kids, and they remember you. That’s why it’s so rewarding, and I don’t have anything negative about my career.”

Torres began his career with LCSO in 1992, spending his first 30 months working in the Lyon County Jail, before being assigned to patrol. He was promoted to Corporal 2000, to Sergeant in 2002 and became the Lieutenant in the Fernley Patrol Division in March 2008. Torres then was named Field Services Captain in 2010 and served as Undersheriff from Feb. 2012 to Feb. 2015.

He began his career under Sheriff Sid Smith and Undersheriff Mike Couts, and also served under Sheriff Allen Veil and Undersheriff Joe Sanford, until replacing Sanford as Undersheriff when Sanford retired.

Torres ran for sheriff in 2014 but was defeated in the general election by Al McNeil. McNeil eliminated the position of undersheriff as part of his reorganization of the command staff, and Torres left the department and was hired as a deputy under Douglas County Sheriff Ron Pierini.

During his time with LCSO, Torres attended the Washoe County Jail Academy in 1993, the State POST Academy in Carson City in 1995 and the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA in 2012. He also served as a member of the SWAT team for 18 years, finishing as SWAT commander.

“I got to do everything I wanted to do during my career,” Torres said. “Even with the way it ended here, I wouldn’t change anything. It was a very, very fulfilling career.”

Torres said the past two years in Douglas County was the perfect way to end his career. He worked both in the jail and on patrol in Douglas County, patrolling both in the Carson Valley and at Lake Tahoe.

“Instead of going from all the hours as undersheriff to nothing, this allowed me to taper off doing cop work again,” he said. “It was a fun area to work. It was a good way to finish out.”

Torres said he doesn’t have any specific plans for his retirement. He is still continuing his education, and has almost completed a business degree through Truckee Meadows Community College and the University of Nevada, Reno. He has four trips planned in the next six to eight months, and plans to spend a lot of time with his family.

His wife Julie works for the city of Sparks, his daughter Kelsie Torres graduated from UNR in May and his son Shane Kelso is playing baseball at Feather River College.

Torres has hiked a couple of legs of the Tahoe Rim Trail and plans to finish that loop.

“I don’t think I’ll have any problem transitioning to retirement,” he said.

Torres said he has not decided whether he will run again for Lyon County Sheriff.

“I’m keeping that as an option,” he said.

Torres grew up in Dayton, graduating from Dayton High School in 1988, and has lived I Fernley since 2003.

Torres said he loved being a law enforcement officer, and said what he will miss most is the camaraderie, the adrenaline and the ability to help people and make a difference.”

“I still loved the job, but we all know guys who stayed too long, to where they hate it,” Torres said. “It was the perfect time for me to leave it.”

Torres said his time on the SWAT team, being able to to train and groom new and inexperienced deputies and being involved in the design and construction of the new Lyon County Justice Complex in Yerington were among the things he’s most proud of.

“We made huge strides from what SWAT consisted of in 1992, to the level it was at in 2015,” he said. “And being very, very involved in building the justice complex, I was allowed to have a lot of input with the sheriff and undersheriff.”

The one case that Torres said sticks with him the most, however, was one of the toughest he had. While on patrol in Silver Springs, he happened upon a crash that had just happened on U.S. 95A, just south of the crossroads, in which eight kids were riding in a small Chevy Luv pickup that rolled.

“All but one of the kids was pretty busted up and there was a girl, 7 or 8 years old, and some bystanders worked on her until the ambulance got there, but she died on the scene. A day or two later, her older cousin died at hospital,” Torres said. “That one hasn’t gone away, and I don’t think it will. Kid calls hurt the toughest, any badge will tell you that.”

Torres said he has many people to thank for supporting him throughout his career.

“I have a lot of people to be thankful to for giving me lot of opportunities, both professional support and support from the different communities in the county, and of course my family was very supportive,” he said. “I thank my wife and kids, because they had to sacrifice quite a bit.”

Torres said his family is glad he has retired, allowing them to let go of the stress and worry that families of law enforcement feel every day.

“It does take a while to realize what an impact that stuff has on everybody around you,” he said.