RENO, NV - Reno Police Chief Kathryn Nance and her command staff's training over recent years are under review after being called problematic and bizarre by current and former members of local police agencies.
The records, obtained and reviewed by This Is Reno, also include surveillance footage from the Regional Public Safety Training Center (RPSTC) and Reno Police Department (RPD) training documents of Nance and her command staff.
Those who are calling the actions problematic also said that training documents are not strictly monitored or scrutinized by the Nevada Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). POST comprises police chiefs and commissioners from around the state.
The investigations into Nance and five of her command staff are allegedly being conducted by the Nevada Department of Public Safety and the Nevada Attorney General's Office.
At issue, according to several sources, is whether the training documentation provided to POST accurately reflects the actual training done. The allegations are that Nance and her team did not do what their documents show. Training documents show that Nance and her leadership team documented six hours of training on New Year's Day, December 31, 2025, and seven hours on a Sunday in 2024.
December 31 is the day each police agency is required to submit its annual training verifications to POST online. RPD records seem to aggregate hours in a couple of places, such as one police executive listing 24 hours of racial profiling training in one day.
That class could have been taken online over several days, but the training is listed as having been completed in a single day, which could be the day of completion, not that the officer actually spent an entire 24 hours in training.
Records for multiple POST-required trainings taken in one day by Nance and her team were viewed skeptically by police sources.
Courses listed as having been taken on New Year's Eve over six hours by the chief and four members of her team included "Less Lethal Weapon Proficiency," "Arrest and Control Tactics," Use of Force Police Review," and Firearms Proficiency 1 and 2."
The group each noted six hours of training that day for five classes. Officers are required to get 12 hours a year of continuing education.
However, surveillance footage from December 31 shows Nance and her command staff arriving at the training center at 11:00 a.m. and leaving roughly 50 minutes later.
One course documented by the group is "Less Lethal Weapon Proficiency," required by state law. It requires that officers "will be able to answer questions and articulate appropriate techniques" in relation to current RPD policy on use of force. Officers must be able to "exhibit proficiency in the basic techniques" related to applying handcuffs, taking down suspects, using personal weapons, and weapons retention.
Officers must also "demonstrate takedowns, handcuffing, searching, ground defense, Taser, OC, baton, and vehicle extractions.
Reaching proficiency in a single hour by five people at the training center was said to be "impossible" by a former law enforcement officer with knowledge of POST training requirements and the regional training facility. "At best, it’s dodgy. At worst, it’s fabricated,” they said, noting that two classes for firearms proficiency used to take an entire day.
Sources said RPD's training records could be interpreted as lackadaisical and fudged. Others said the Nevada POST standards are loosely interpreted. For example, drawing a handgun from a holster could be considered proficient.
Some classes can be taken online or in other settings. A POST audit found a rural police officer took a pepper spray training online rather than the mandatory in-person training. Two other sources said it is possible that the RPD team could have done some of the December 31 classes, such as "Use of Force Policy Review," elsewhere.
The classes are either pass or fail, and staff have to be on hand at the training center for the classes.
The records, obtained and reviewed by This Is Reno, also include surveillance footage from the Regional Public Safety Training Center (RPSTC) and Reno Police Department (RPD) training documents of Nance and her command staff.
Those who are calling the actions problematic also said that training documents are not strictly monitored or scrutinized by the Nevada Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). POST comprises police chiefs and commissioners from around the state.
The investigations into Nance and five of her command staff are allegedly being conducted by the Nevada Department of Public Safety and the Nevada Attorney General's Office.
At issue, according to several sources, is whether the training documentation provided to POST accurately reflects the actual training done. The allegations are that Nance and her team did not do what their documents show. Training documents show that Nance and her leadership team documented six hours of training on New Year's Day, December 31, 2025, and seven hours on a Sunday in 2024.
December 31 is the day each police agency is required to submit its annual training verifications to POST online. RPD records seem to aggregate hours in a couple of places, such as one police executive listing 24 hours of racial profiling training in one day.
That class could have been taken online over several days, but the training is listed as having been completed in a single day, which could be the day of completion, not that the officer actually spent an entire 24 hours in training.
Records for multiple POST-required trainings taken in one day by Nance and her team were viewed skeptically by police sources.
Courses listed as having been taken on New Year's Eve over six hours by the chief and four members of her team included "Less Lethal Weapon Proficiency," "Arrest and Control Tactics," Use of Force Police Review," and Firearms Proficiency 1 and 2."
The group each noted six hours of training that day for five classes. Officers are required to get 12 hours a year of continuing education.
However, surveillance footage from December 31 shows Nance and her command staff arriving at the training center at 11:00 a.m. and leaving roughly 50 minutes later.
One course documented by the group is "Less Lethal Weapon Proficiency," required by state law. It requires that officers "will be able to answer questions and articulate appropriate techniques" in relation to current RPD policy on use of force. Officers must be able to "exhibit proficiency in the basic techniques" related to applying handcuffs, taking down suspects, using personal weapons, and weapons retention.
Officers must also "demonstrate takedowns, handcuffing, searching, ground defense, Taser, OC, baton, and vehicle extractions.
Reaching proficiency in a single hour by five people at the training center was said to be "impossible" by a former law enforcement officer with knowledge of POST training requirements and the regional training facility. "At best, it’s dodgy. At worst, it’s fabricated,” they said, noting that two classes for firearms proficiency used to take an entire day.
Sources said RPD's training records could be interpreted as lackadaisical and fudged. Others said the Nevada POST standards are loosely interpreted. For example, drawing a handgun from a holster could be considered proficient.
Some classes can be taken online or in other settings. A POST audit found a rural police officer took a pepper spray training online rather than the mandatory in-person training. Two other sources said it is possible that the RPD team could have done some of the December 31 classes, such as "Use of Force Policy Review," elsewhere.
The classes are either pass or fail, and staff have to be on hand at the training center for the classes.
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