Carlquist promoted to sergeant for South Lake Tahoe Police Department

Submitted by paula on Fri, 02/22/2019 - 11:41pm

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Not only has the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) added some new recruits, they've also promoted from within.

Nicholaus "Nick" Carlquist is the newest sergeant on the force.

The Cal State Monterey graduate became a paramedic before sponsoring himself through the police academy and ending up with the Hollister (CA) Police Department.

Nick then came to South Lake Tahoe and has been with the department since 2008.

"I’ve been lucky to work as a SWAT operator, sniper, detective, and gang investigator before being promoted," said Sgt. Carlquist. "All have their own unique challenges in law enforcement."

In his new position, Carlquist will supervise the SWAT team, the school safety and active shooter program, and the Gang Unit.

The Los Angeles native spent his junior and senior high school years in Northern California. He is the first in his family to go into law enforcement though he said they have Army and Navy backgrounds.

Carlquist has kept his paramedic license, something that he says gives him a great view of what "our brothers and sisters in EMS and Fire do."

"If I could change one thing about the job, I’d certainly choose to interact with the public more frequently," said the new sergeant. "There’s a very strong anti-police sentiment all across the nation (yes, in SLT as well) and most of it stems from misunderstandings about the profession and law. The SWAT team and Gang Unit work hard to interact with our community to get ahead of these kinds of issues!"

You can currently catch Nick on the 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. shift.