Dennis Osborn, deputy Nevada Highway Patrol chief, will assume the duties as chief of the NHP beginning Monday. He replaces former NHP Chief Troy Abney who left the department in November 2013 after serving nearly 20 months with the agency.
The announcement was made today by Department of Public Safety Director James M. Wright.
Osborn has served with the department for more than 21 years, joining the Nevada Highway Patrol as a trooper in November of 1992 where his first duty stations were Pahrump and Indian Springs.
In December 1999, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and supervised troopers in Tonopah and Reno before receiving a promotion to the rank of lieutenant in December of 2005. Osborn was promoted to the rank of captain in February, 2007, where he served with the Parole and Probation division of the Department of Public Safety for just over one year.
He returned to NHP in March 2008, and served as the operations commander in Reno until July, 2011, when he was assigned as the executive officer serving for the Office of the Chief in Carson City. Osborn was promoted to the rank of deputy chief on August 26th, 2013, and has been the Commander of the NHP-Southern Command region headquartered in Las Vegas since then. Additionally, he served as the Department of Public Safety-Honor Guard Commander from July 2007 through January 2013.
Osborn earned an associates degree in criminal justice in 1991 and a bachelor’s degree in public administration in 2009. He was also awarded the Nevada Peace Officers’ Standards and Training or P.O.S.T executive certificate in 2008, and is also a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
Chief Osborn will transfer back to Northern Nevada where his office will be in Carson City. Chief Osborn will be the 22nd Chief of the NHP division since the agency was established in 1949.