Recruiting some future sheriff's deputies

Walter Cruz likes to pretend he's a police officer. He has the uniform, he has the baton, and he definitely has the handcuffs.

The only thing 4-year-old Walter was missing was the badge, and Saturday morning at the fourth annual Cops and Kids Sheriff's Open House, Carson City Sheriff Kenny Furlong remedied that problem.

"That's the goal, is to get a child to know a deputy's name," Furlong said. "They usually pick someone they can relate to, and that has an impact on them."

The open house, held in the courthouse parking lot, featured information and games from a variety of agencies and departments.

Representatives from the Children's Museum of Northern Nevada, Nevada Division of Forestry, the DARE program and Carson High School Leadership students were on hand.

Students like Michael Montiel, who spent his morning getting dunked to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

"We decided to do this as our community project, and this is my way of supporting the team," Montiel said, before dropping into the tank again.

Furlong said, "This is the good exposure for the high school and for us. There are kids at Carson High that are just amazing."

The open house also features the "Sheriff for a Day" fundraiser for the department's DARE program.

Several children were hoping to be chosen, including 7-year-old Mason Marlin, of Carson City.

"I would go for a ride on a motorcycle with the sirens on," Mason said. "And I'd arrest someone, but only if they were bad."

Eight-year-old Robert White said if he were sheriff, he would just hang out with his friends and protect his family.

Oh, and he'd have his brother Sterling arrested.

The children also said they knew what the real sheriff did.

"He commands all the police. He tells them where to go and tells them who to arrest," said Jared Juby, 8.

For 4-year-old Kalin Gordon, the sheriff's job was pretty simple.

"He rides horses, he has lots of weapons, and he arrests people," Kalin said. "That's about it."

The winner of the drawing for sheriff for the day will spend a day with Furlong in the coming weeks.

• Contact reporter Jarid Shipley at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.