Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

"Las Vegas Police Department" redirects here. For other uses, see Las Vegas Police Department (disambiguation).

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD)
Common name	METRO, Metro PD
Abbreviation	LVMPD
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department patch
Agency overview
Preceding agencies	Las Vegas Police Department Clark County Sheriff's Department
Employees	5,119 Authorized Total (2011)
Annual budget	FY 2011-2012: $501,307,011
Legal personality	Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Population	1,996,542
Legal jurisdiction	Clark County, Nevada (excluding cities of Henderson, North Las Vegas, Boulder City and Mesquite).
General nature	Law enforcement Civilian agency
Operational structure
Headquarters	400 S. Martin L. King Boulevard; Las Vegas, Nevada
Police Officers	2,743 (2011)
Sheriff responsible	Douglas C. Gillespie
Facilities
Area Commands	8
Airbases	1
Detention Centers	1
Marked and Unmarked Cars	2000+
Motorcycles	160+
Helicopters	7
Dogs	35
Horses	12
Website
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's website
Footnotes
* Divisional agency: Sub division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (also known as the LVMPD or Metro) is a joint city-county police force for the City of Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada. It is run by the Sheriff of Clark County, elected every four years. The current Sheriff of Clark County is Douglas C. Gillespie, who became sheriff in January 2007 and was elected to a second term in November 2010. The sheriff is the only elected head law enforcement officer within the county, and, as such, the department is not under the direct control of the city, county or state.

Metro is the largest law enforcement agency in the state of Nevada, and one of the largest police agencies in the United States.

History

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) was formed on July 1, 1973, by merging the Las Vegas Police Department with the Clark County Sheriff's Department. Metro serves the city limits of Las Vegas and the unincorporated areas of Clark County.

In 1999, an outside audit, commissioned by the City of Las Vegas and conducted by DMG-Maximus, commended the department for having fewer managers and supervisors than are typically found in large police agencies. The audit also said that the managers, both sworn and civilian, were of "excellent quality." The auditors found that the recruitment and selection program was "among the best we have encountered in recent years." Although the city had planned to commission a second phase of the study, DMG-Maximus auditors said they were so impressed with the department that further study was unnecessary, saving the city $180,000 that had been allocated for the audit.

Currently, Metro has more than 5,100 members. Of these, over 2,700 are police officers of various ranks and over 750 are corrections officers of various ranks.

Radio system

LVMPD operates on a digital radio system (DesertSky), which was turned on in 2011. In 2010 the agency began a transition from the former analog system to this new digital radio system. The transition to DesertSky has been slow, and some analog frequencies will remain for outside access after full utilization. DesertSky is LVMPD's nickname for official name of "OpenSky," developed by what is now Harris Corporation.

Headquarters

Construction was completed on LVMPD's new 370,500 square foot headquarters, located at 400 S. Martin L. King Boulevard, in mid-2011. The building facility consolidated 27 bureaus which were previously located in various leased buildings around Las Vegas. It also houses the Southern Nevada Counter Terrorism Center, Police Records, and a Fingerprint Bureau annex.

Fallen Officers

The LVMPD and the agencies that existed prior to consolidation to form the agency, the Clark County Sheriff's Office, and City of Las Vegas Police Department have suffered officers killed in action.

In 2006, Sergeant Henry Prendes became the first Metro officer in 18 years to be shot and killed in the line of duty. Officer Donald Weese died in the line of duty in 1989 as a result of a traffic accident, Officer Russell Peterson died in 1998 during a training exercise near Mount Charleston. Officer Marc Kahre was shot and killed in the line of duty in 1988. He was the 22nd law enforcement official to be killed on duty in Clark County since the City of Las Vegas was founded.

In the early morning hours of May 7, 2009, Officer James "Jamie" Manor of Enterprise Area Command was driving in excess of 100 MPH without flashing lights or siren and killed as a result of a traffic collision while en route to a possible domestic violence call. Officer Manor was the 23rd officer in Clark County to be killed in the line of duty.

On the night of October 7, 2009, Officer Milburn "Millie" Beitel and another officer in the passenger seat were both seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash. Officer Beitel died the early morning hours of October 8, 2009 due to his injuries. This incident came exactly five months after officer James Manor died in a crash in his patrol car.

On November 19, 2009, Officer Trevor Nettleton was shot to death in his garage after exchanging fire with 3 men in a botched robbery attempt. Metro considers this death 'in the line of duty' as he drew his police weapon in defense of himself and family and has been laid to rest with full police honors.

On November 21, 2009, Corrections Officer Daniel Leach, while on duty, was killed in a car accident near Searchlight, Nevada.

List of Clark County Sheriffs

• Charles Corkhill 1909-1911
• Sam Gay, 1911–1931
  • Will Mundy, 1917 (served when Sam Gay was removed from office)
  • Jay Warren Woodard, 1917 (served when Sam Gay was removed from office)
• Joe Keate, 1931–1936
• Bill Mott, 1936–1937
• Gene Ward, 1937–1943
• Glen C. Jones, 1943–1955
• Butch Leypoldt, 1955–1961
• Ralph Lamb, 1961-1979 (CCSO)
• John McCarthy, 1979–1983
• John Moran, 1983-1995 (LVPD)
• Jerry Keller, 1995-2003 (CCSO)
• Bill Young, 2003–2007
• Douglas C. Gillespie, 2007-

Funding

The department is funded by both the City of Las Vegas and Clark County. Funding is based on a complex formula that includes population, calls for service, and felony crimes in the prior year. Both governments must approve the annual budget including their percentage of budget. Additionally the department itself generates approximately 33% of its funds through property tax, and the charging for certain services, such as special events, work cards, and privileged license investigations. Additional funding is generated from a special sales tax to fund commissioned positions. By state law, the sheriff of Clark County is charged with running the county jail, known as the Clark County Detention Center or CCDC, which is funded solely by the government and tax base of Clark County.

Organization

There are two commissioned career tracks in the LVMPD. They have identical civil service rank structures and pay, but different day-to-day tasks and responsibilities.

• Corrections: These officers are tasked with operating, managing and supervising the Clark County Detention Center: there are over 750 currently.
  • Corrections Officer 690
  • Corrections Sergeant 66
  • Corrections Lieutenant 19
  • Corrections Captain 6

• Police: These officers are assigned all over the department; there are over 2700 currently.
  • Police Officer 2263
  • Police Sergeant 281
  • Police Lieutenant 74
  • Police Captain 22

Major patrol responsibilities are covered by bike patrols, motorcycle units and patrol cars assigned to the following units:

The LVMPD is divided into eight urban area commands:

• Bolden (Sectors U and W) - serves the west central portion of the city, including the old westside, an area bordered by I-15, US-95, Rancho Drive and Lake Mead Boulevard.
• Convention Center (Sectors M and L) - Las Vegas Strip and Las Vegas Convention Center areas
• Downtown (Sectors A, B and C)- this division serves Downtown Las Vegas and areas roughly east of Eastern, south of Owens and north of Sahara Avenue to include the infamous 'Naked City' and Fremont Street areas.
• Northeast (Sectors F and G) - Sector F includes unincorporated areas of North Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Speedway/Nellis AFB area.
• Northwest (Sectors V and X) - serves areas generally west of Decatur Blvd and north of Charleston Blvd.
• Southeast (Sectors H, J and K) - serves areas east of Maryland Parkway and south of Sahara Blvd. Sector J includes unincorporated areas of Henderson.
• Enterprise (Formerly Southwest - as of July 7, 2008) (Sectors O, P, R and S)- this area serves mostly the southwest valley west of I-15 and south of Charleston Blvd.Also includes Chinatown.
• South Central (Sectors I, N) This area command serves the areas south of McCarran Airport between Interstate 15 and roughly Eastern Avenue.

When Metro was formed in 1973, the Las Vegas Valley was served by only three area commands: North, South and West.

Other major coverage details:

• Traffic Bureau (All Sectors)
• Airport (Sector Q)
• nine different rural areas outside the Las Vegas Valley including:
  • Laughlin (Area 81)
  • Searchlight (Area 82)
  • Jean-Goodsprings (Area 83)
  • Blue Diamond-Sloan (Area 84)
  • Mount Charleston (Area 85)
  • Indian Springs (Area 86)
  • Logandale-Overton (Area 87)
  • Moapa Valley-Glendale (Area 88)
  • Riverside-Bunkerville (Area 89)

Rank Structure

The LVMPD rank structure is as follows:

Title	Insignia
Sheriff
Undersheriff
Assistant Sheriff
Deputy Chief
Captain
Lieutenant
Sergeant
Officer

Enforcement areas

Persons arrested by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department enter the criminal justice system at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas.

This department provides law enforcement services for all of Clark County, including the City of Las Vegas, yielding primary jurisdiction to the following agencies:

• Boulder City Police Department in Boulder City
• Hoover Dam Police
• College of Southern Nevada Police Department Formed in 2005
• Clark County Park Police in all Clark County parks
• Clark County School District Police Department on Clark County School District property
• Henderson Police Department in Henderson
• City of Las Vegas Court Marshals which deliver warrants in the City of Las Vegas
• City of Las Vegas Deputy City Marshals which provide enforcement activities on public property, primarily city property
• Mesquite Police Department in Mesquite
• United States Air Force Security Forces at Nellis Air Force Base in North Las Vegas
• Nevada Highway Patrol is responsible for the interstate highways and state highways in Clark County
• Nevada Capitol Police :responsible for protection of the Grant Sawyer State Office Building in downtown Las Vegas
• North Las Vegas Police Department in North Las Vegas
• Paiute Tribal Police on the two Paiute Indian reservations
• UNLV Police Services on University of Nevada, Las Vegas campuses and sports facilities. Formed in 1972
• Various government agencies like the BLM or the National Park Service provide law enforcement services for other federally owned land in the county.

Structure

The LVMPD is led by the sheriff, second in command is the undersheriff, who is assisted by four assistant sheriffs. The Office of Intergovernmental Services, the Office of General Counsel, the Office of Public Information, the Office of Finance, The Police Employee Assistance Program (PEAP), and the Office of the Sheriff Executive Staff report to the undersheriff.

Four of the six elected Clark County sheriffs since the LVMPD was consolidated in 1973 are former members of either the Clark County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) or Las Vegas Police Department (LVPD). Former Sheriff Young and current Sheriff Gillespie are retired members of the LVMPD (that is they were commissioned solely as members of the LVMPD) Sheriff Gillespie rose to, and retired at, the appointed rank of undersheriff prior to assuming public office as the duly elected Sheriff of Clark County.

The ranks of undersheriff, assistant sheriff, and deputy chief are appointed from the highest civil service rank of captain. These positions serve at the pleasure of the sheriff and as such, if they lose the confidence of the person who holds that office, they can be returned to their civil service rank of captain if they choose not to simply retire. Division directors are civilian appointees that head divisions as would a deputy chief. Of additional note, at various points in the department's history the appointed rank of Commander has been used between the ranks of deputy chief and captain.

The undersheriff is second in command to the sheriff. The position is currently held by Undersheriff Jim Dixon.

The Law Enforcement Services Group Assistant Sheriff (Currently Assistant Sheriff Joseph Lombardo) oversees two divisions, each overseen by a deputy chief or division director. The divisions are: Technical Services Division (made up of the Criminalistics Bureau, Police Records Bureau, Fingerprint Bureau, and Logistics Bureau); Professional Standards Division (Office of Human Resources, Organizational Development Bureau, and the Internal Affairs Bureau). Additionally, the Information Technologies Bureau reports directly to Assistant Sheriff Lombardo.

The Law Enforcement Operations Group Assistant Sheriff (currently Assistant Sheriff Theodore Moody) oversees 2 divisions, both led by a deputy chief. The divisions are: Detention Services Division (made up of the DSD Records Bureau, South Tower Bureau, Central Booking Bureau, North Tower Bureau, Administrative Operations Bureau, and the Staff Operations Bureau), and the Patrol Division (made up of the Downtown Area Command, Bolden Area Command, Northeast Area Command, Northwest Area Command, Enterprise Area Command, Convention Center Area Command, Southeast Area Command, and the South Central Area Command)

The Law Enforcement Investigations and Support Group Assistant Sheriff (currently Assistant Sheriff Ray Flynn) oversees two divisions, both led by a Deputy Chief. The divisions are: The Investigative Services Division (made up of the Robbery/Homicide Bureau, Crimes Against Youth/Family Bureau, Gang Crimes Bureau, and the Financial/Property Crimes Bureau), and the Special Operations Division (made up of the Airport Bureau, Communications Bureau, Support Operations Bureau, and the Traffic Bureau).

The Homeland Security Investigations and Support Group Assistant Sheriff (currently Greg McCurdy) oversees a single division. The Homeland Security Division is led by a Deputy Chief consists of the Southern Nevada Counterterrorism Center (SNCTC), Emergency Operations Bureau, Organized Crime Bureau, and the Vice/Narcotics Bureau.

Area commands and bureaus are typically led by captains. The captains in turn manage a staff of 1 to 4 lieutenants who in turn manage a staff of 4 or 5 sergeants. Sergeants typically supervise 6-12 police officers, corrections officers, or detectives and civilian support staff. Sections are typically led by lieutenants.

A typical substation or area command has a captain, three or four police lieutenants, sixteen police sergeants, and 130-150 police officers.^{[citation needed]}

Volunteer program

The department maintains an active volunteer program called the Metro Volunteer Program or MVP. The program publishes a monthly newsletter available on the department web site. MVPs are used within the department in any area that is not law enforcement as the volunteers are not law enforcement officers.

The program was honored in 2011 as the winner for Outstanding Achievement in Law Enforcement Volunteer Program by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Training

• LVMPD Recruit Training Academy

The LVMPD operates its own training academy—officially the LVMPD Recruit Training Academy, but referred to by members the department as 'The Academy.'^{[citation needed]} New recruits are required to attend a 26-week academy. This includes those who have attended another police academy. The academy is composed of a hand-picked training staff of senior police officers who are recognized experts in multiple fields, including police academics, patrol tactics, procedure, defensive tactics/martial arts, physical fitness, and firearms skills.

The academy is headquartered at the Jerry Keller Training Facility next to the Northwest Area Command station. The first 12 weeks are held at this location. During this initial phase, the recruits' training is centered around intense physical conditioning, basic defensive tactics, and academic classroom instruction.

The remainder of the academy is located at the Mojave Training Facility adjacent to the Northeast Area Command. At this facility, the recruit's training becomes less academic-based and far more practical-application-based. The concentration of the curriculum focuses on intense defensive tactics/martial art instruction and advanced police tactics. It is also during this phase that the police recruit receives firearms training and the Emergency Vehicle Operator's Course.

The LVMPD Recruit Training Academy is nationally regarded as one of the toughest police academies in the nation, both physically and academically.^{[citation needed]} The drop-out rate is roughly 35 percent.^{[citation needed]}

In addition to police academics, the recruits must successfully complete a basic Spanish language program which is taught throughout the academy training.

The LVMPD runs a separate academy for corrections officer. This academy is located inside the Clark County Detention Center (CCDC).^{[citation needed]} and is similar to the police academy, but somewhat shorter in duration.

• Field Training and Evaluation Program (FTEP)

Upon successful completion of academy, the new officers' training continues during an 19-week Field Training and Evaluation Program (FTEP), during which new officer rides side-by-side with a certified Field Training Officer (FTO) who grades and evaluates the officers' every move and decision.

The role of the FTO is also to train the new officer in real-world application of the skills learned at the academy in a student/master relationship. The new officer is assigned to a new FTO every three weeks for a total of 6 FTOs over two 'phases' (9 weeks Phase 1, 10 weeks Phase 2). The new officer must show a measured level of skill and competency to advance through the phases.

The final three weeks FTEP are 'solo' weeks in which the new officer rides by himself/herself for at least two shifts per week under the close scrutiny of his/her final FTO. At the successful completion of the FTEP program, the new officer is transferred to his/her first duty patrol squad and is officially a police officer.

From the day the recruit enters the academy to the day he or she completes training and is a solo police officer patrolling the street is 45 weeks.

• In-Service / Continued Training and Education

The LVMPD also places large emphasis on its continuing training for its sworn police officers. LVMPD officers are required to attend quarterly firearms training and re-qualifications, quarterly defensive tactics training, a vigorous once-yearly Advanced Officer Survival Tactics course, monthly 'back-to-basics' training, various required on-line classes per year, and an additional mandatory 10 hours of new training per year selected from a vast list of classes offered by the LVMPD or other certified agency.

One complete shift every two weeks is also dedicated for squad-level training. This does not include special skill or specialized unit specific mandated training. The LVMPD encourages its officers to attend as much training as is possible to learn new skills and stay current with cutting-edge law enforcement techniques and tactics.

The Emergency Vehicle Operations Course (EVOC) takes place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Police officers complete their initial course of training for EVOC at the academy. Commissioned officers then must re-certify every two years during an additional 10-hour EVOC course.

Motorcycle officers must initially attend and pass a 3 week police Motorcycle Riders Course. They then must re-certify every six months in order to continue operating a motorcycle for duty.

• Citizen Training

The department also operates two Citizen's Police Academies. One of these is a regular academy and the second is a Spanish Citizen's Police Academy.

Specialized units

For individual unit specifics and detail see following section, "Specialized Unit Specifics."

Organizational Structure in place as of December 2011:

Detention Services Division (DSD)

• Clark County Detention Center (commonly known as "CCDC" by officers)
• Crime Stoppers - (702) 385-5555
• Crisis Intervention Team
• YES- Youth Education Services Detail (Formerly DARE)
• Field Training Officer (FTO)
• Homeland Security Division
  • Vice/Narcotics Bureau
  • Southern Nevada Counterterrorism Center (SNCTC)
    • ANSEC (Analytical Section)
  • Emergency Operations Bureau
    • ARMOR Section
    • SWAT
      • Crisis Negotiation Team
    • Emergency Management
  • Organized Crime Bureau
    • Criminal Intelligence
    • Special Investigations
• Investigative Services Division
  • Gang Crimes Bureau
  • Robbery/Homicide Bureau
    • Robbery Section
    • Homicide Section
    • Career Criminal Section
      • Fugitive Detail
      • Criminal Apprehension Team (CAT) Federal Task Force (FBI, LVMPD)
      • Repeat Offenders Program (ROP)
    • Violent Crimes Section
  • Crimes Against Youth and Family Bureau
    • Abuse/Neglect Detail
    • Domestic Violence Detail
    • Missing Persons
    • Sexual Assault Detail
    • Sexual Abuse Detail
  • Financial - Property Crimes Bureau
    • Auto Theft
    • VIPER
    • Firearms Section
    • Forgery Detail
    • Fraud Detail
    • Electronic Crimes Unit (Federal Task Force with United States Secret Service)
    • Construction Theft
• Special Operations Division
  • Airport Bureau
  • Communications Bureau
  • Support Operations Bureau
    • Mobile Crime Saturation Team
    • Special Events Section
    • Air Support
    • Search and Rescue
    • Laughlin
    • Resident Officer Section
    • K-9
  • Traffic Bureau
• Patrol Division
  • Northwest Area Command
  • Bolden Area Command
  • Downtown Area Command
  • Northeast Area Command
  • Enterprise Area Command
  • Convention Center Area Command
    • Tourist Crimes Unit- Operates out of the Convention Center Area Command
    • Mounted police- Operates out of the Convention Center Area Command
  • South Central Area Command
  • Southeast Area Command
• Professional Standards Division
  • Office of Human Resources
    • Metro Volunteer Program
  • Internal Affairs Bureau
  • Organizational Development Bureau
    • Firearms Range
    • EVOC (Emergency Vehicle Operations Course)
    • In-service Training
    • AOST (Advanced Officer Skills Training)
    • Academy
    • CIRT
    • Quality Assurance
• Technical Services Division
  • Criminalistics Bureau (CSA a.k.a. CSI)
  • Police Records Bureau
  • Fingerprint Bureau
  • Logistics Bureau

Specialized Unit Specifics

SWAT The LVMPD SWAT Team is a nationally respected organization.^{[citation needed]} The team, composed of nearly 40 operators, is one of a handful of full-time SWAT Teams in the country. The team's main objective is to save lives, victims as well as suspects. They are on the cutting edge on the use of a constantly changing array of less-lethal weapons and munitions. Team members are highly trained and work in no less than two-man cells. They are referred to as Zebra units and not called the 'Zebra Squadron' as it is asserted by the narrator on an often repeated cable documentary. However, their designated LVMPD call sign is Z, phonetically in the LVMPD alphabet- Zebra. The individual officers are denoted by their seniority in the unit. Therefore, Z1 (or Zebra 1) is the most senior operator and Z37 is the junior. This nomenclature applies to other units within the department as well. LVMPD SWAT conducts their training both for LVMPD recruits and seasoned officers within the department plus visiting agencies from across the country. In any given year, they will respond to an average of 55 hostage incidents and execute over 365 high risk search warrants and/or arrest warrants.

Traffic Also called 'Motors' is currently the largest of all-Harley Davidson fleet in the country^{[citation needed]} and has over 160 officers assigned. Traffic does specialized enforcement as dictated by the Office of the Sheriff, on the freeways, main and secondary roads, and schools. Motors is responsible for the majority of the DUI arrests and citations written in Clark County. These units are called "Tom" units - with a 3-digit or 4-digit number (the first designating its shift, and the last two or three digits representing the officer's seniority). E.g. T3115 would be a swing shift (3) officer who is 115th in seniority within the unit.

K-9

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has one of the oldest continuously-operating K-9 units in the United States.^{[citation needed]}

Currently, the LVMPD K-9 Detail has 21 officers (including three sergeants) and 21 patrol dogs, trained to locate human scent. These dogs search for suspects, lost victims, and evidence that suspects may have discarded. Seven are European bred German Shepherds, one Dutch Shepherd, and 13 are Belgian Malinois.

LVMPD has 15 detection dogs, nine are narcotic detector dogs which are trained to locate marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin. They use hunting breeds such as Springer Spaniels and Labrador Retrievers. They also have six explosive detector dogs used to locate various explosives. In addition to the dogs assigned to K-9, LVMPD has six other narcotic detector dogs. Five of these dogs are assigned to the Narcotics Detail, Interdiction Team. They have one Springer Spaniel, and a Black and Yellow Labrador. The sixth is assigned to the Resident Section, Laughlin, and is a Black Labrador.^{[citation needed]}

Fallen K-9 Officers

K-9	Unit	Partner(s)
Mars	Explosives Dog	Tom Moore
Ben	Explosives Dog	Duwayne Layton
Apollo	Patrol Dog	John Jenkins
Roscoe	Narcotics Dog	Scott Murray
Fred	Patrol Dog	DuWayne Layton
Rudy	Patrol Dog	Mel English and Darren Garness
Winston	Narcotics Dog	Eric Kerns and Danny Southwell
Breston	Patrol Dog	Steve Junge
Rudi	Patrol Dog	John Jenkins
Duke	Narcotics Dog	Mike Horn and Mike Blasko
Dak	Patrol Dog	Mike Horn and Mike Campbell
Danny	Patrol Dog	Frank Sorrentino
Clyde	Explosives Dog	Duwayne Layton and Jay Carlson
Cigan	Patrol Dog	Rory Tuggle
Buddy	Patrol Dog	John Jenkins
Ex	Patrol Dog	Pat Barry, Bob Hindi, and Robert Johnson
Laslo	Patrol Dog	Jay Carlson
Moss	Explosives Dog	Jay Carlson

Firearms

Firearms Training takes place at the LVMPD John T Moran Tactical Firearms Training Facility located near Nellis Air Force Base.The facility is used by numerous local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. At the facility, recruits receive several weeks of firearms training during the academy. Commissioned police officers must attend firearms re-qualification 4 times a year. This re-qualification is for all department-carried firearms: handguns, shotguns, low-lethal shotguns, and rifles (M4/AR15). The qualifications include known-distance targets and tactical courses of fire in both regular and low-light.

Clark County Detention Center

Public entrance

The department operates the detention facility. It is used to house inmates arrested in their patrol area, with the exception of misdemeanors committed in the City of Las Vegas, which maintains its own jail. In addition, it also holds persons who are wanted for extradition to another jurisdiction, persons who are awaiting a bail hearing or trial, or those persons serving a sentence of 364 days or less.

Misconduct

A long history of police misconduct cases within the department have caused controversy.

Press reports indicate the department is more prone to fire its weapons at citizens than most other urban US police departments. The department ranked third behind Houston and Chicago, in officer-involved shootings per capita. During the period 1990 to 2011, the department reported 310 shooting incidents, 115 of them fatal. During this period three officers were killed in the line of duty. Although the local population is less than ten percent Black, about a third of those shot by the police are Black. In twenty-nine percent of the shootings, officers were shot at by suspects.

In the late 1970's, the FBI via the use of wiretaps found that police officers at LVMPD were passing sensitive intelligence to (now deceased) organized crime boss Anthony Spilotro about undercover activities which were aimed at getting information to indict Mr. Spilotro. Detective Joe Blasko who was assigned to the intelligence section of LVMPD was regularly leaking the details of surveillance activities and information on potential burglary targets. In 1978, the police department fired Joe Blasko, and as a side effect, produced a rift between the FBI and LVMPD as the FBI determined that the LVMPD could not be trusted with handling sensitive information related to organized crime in Las Vegas. A side effect to this issue was that Sheriff Ralph Lamb lost his re-election race in November 1978 to John McCarthy, who ran on a platform to clean up the image of LVMPD and to declare war on organized crime in southern Nevada.

In February of 1987, Sheriff John Moran reported the theft of cocaine and travelers checks from a safety deposit box at Western Vault company (which was used to store police evidence in the 1980's) and that two officers and the company owner was implicated in the thefts. Although the two metro officers had unrestricted access to the deposit box, LVMPD did not consider the officers in question responsible and focused their investigation on Mr. Sanders. Mr. Sanders was eventually indicted and went to trial, and was acquitted on all counts returned against him. The theft of the cocaine and travelers checks was never solved, and the missing evidence was never located. As a result of the publicity regarding this case, Western Vault Company went out of business soon after the trial of Mr. Sanders.

In 1991, The estate of Charles Bush settled with Metro for $1.1 million after Bush died in 1991 when the lateral-vascular neck restraint was used to subdue him. The three officers involved in the death (including former Detective Gerald Amerson) were placed on trial for involuntary manslaughter, and that they were acquitted after a hung jury was returned on the charges in question. The charges were filed by then AG Frankie Sue Del Papa, and that the case itself was the result of the officers entering Mr. Bush's apartment without a warrant and without announcing themselves as police officers.

In June of 1995, Las Vegas resident (and coin thief) Andrew Dersch was beaten by LVMPD officers Brian Nicholson, Robert Phelan, and Sgt. James Campbell. After a trial, the officers were convicted, but the officers were given a new trial when District Court Judge Lee Gates found that one of the jurors had mis-represented their criminal record during juror selection. In October of 1997, Campbell and Nicholson pleaded no contest to the charge of conspiracy to commit assault with a deadly weapon (which is a gross misdemeanor under Nevada Law), while Phelan plead guilty to two misdemeanors, obstructing a police officer and battery. The agreement calls for each of the men to serve two years on probation, and 400 hours of community service.

On December 28, 1996, an off duty Metro officer, Ron Mortensen, murdered Daniel Mendoza in a drive by shooting. Another Metro officer, Christopher Brady, was driving at the time. Mortensen received a life sentence as the trigger man, while Brady was eventually convicted of federal charges for his role and received a 9 year sentence (in July 2010, the Nevada Supreme Court upheld Ron Mortensen's murder conviction, finding that the murder was "premeditated, willful and deliberate")

In 1998, an 18-year veteran, Sergeant Scott Ferguson, while on duty and using an unmarked police vehicle, exposed himself, by opening his trench coat, to two women. He was charged with two gross misdemeanors and later resigned from the force.

On 19 April, 2000 Officer Nathan Chio stopped a car driven by Kendrick Weather­spoon as the car was registered to a felony parole violator. The officer reported thinking someone was hiding under a pile of dirty laundry in the back seat of the car. After ordering the person to show himself, Officer Chio fired twice into the pile. There was nobody in the backseat. Officer Chio is still on the force.

Lieutenant Larry Spinosa was suspended for two weeks by LVMPD for failure to inform his supervisors he was under investigation. Lieutenant Spinosa was arrested in June of 1999 for suspicion of Driving Under the Influence DUI in McCall, Idaho. He eventually plead guilty to the DUI charge, but prosecutors in Idaho allege he offered an Idaho State Trooper $2,000 to avoid the drunken driving arrest (the charge of felony bribery was dismissed by Idaho prosecutors). The internal affairs investigation revealed that Lieutenant Spinosa violated police policy by engaging in conduct unbecoming of an officer and that he failed to notify his supervisors of the pending police investigation.

The family of French citizen Philippe LeMenn, who died while in the Clark County Detention Center in 2001, settled for $500,000 in 2003.

In 2001, LVMPD officer David D. Miller was seen on a video recording punching a handcuffed man, Frankie Davis and breaking his neck in the backroom of the Las Vegas Club, and as a result, the LVMPD was sued along with the Las Vegas Club, which was eventually settled for $250,000. Officer Miller received a 10 hour suspension as a result of the Internal Affairs Investigation, and required to undergo additional training.

In 2003, Sheriff Bill Young received an anonymous letter regarding members of a squad (which some would recall as rogue) headed by officer Brian Hartman (who was acting as unofficial leader of this squad), and prior to this incident, officer Hartman was involved in the fatal shooting of Orlando Barlow (who was unarmed) in the back. The squad that officer Hartman belonged to had no fewer than 37 warnings about such things as use of force, citizen complaints, and other issues that were tracked by LVMPD. An internal investigation revealed that the officers were celebrating Barlow's death. They had printed T-shirts depicting Hartman's rifle and the initials B.D.R.T. (Baby's Daddy Removal Team), a racially charged term and reference to Barlow, who was Black and who was watching his girlfriend's children before he was shot. As a result, graveyard shift officers Hartman, Krogh and James Vargas resigned or were fired, and another officer was disciplined. The sergeant was demoted, the lieutenant was suspended without pay and the area command's captain was transferred.

Sergeant Paul Pagano was arrested in 2003 on charges of driving under the influence DUI by officers of the LVMPD, and is no longer with the LVMPD, and has been arrested on two subsequent charges of DUI since leaving the employ of LVMPD.

In June of 2003, two LVMPD corrections officers, Alan Hirjak, and Christopher Brinkley threw lighted firecrackers into inmate areas at the Clark County Detention Center, which prompted a federal lawsuit by four (4) former CCDC inmates against the two officers, and their supervisor, Sgt. P.J. Leeke. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2006 by U.S. District Judge James Mahan, but was re-instated by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in 2008, and at that time, Sgt. Leeke was dismissed from the lawsuit. The settlement in this case calls for LVMPD to pay $8,000 to the former inmates, and the two corrections officers will pay $7,500 each out of their own pocket. An internal affairs investigation resulted in Mr. Hirjak serving a 160 hour suspension without pay, and Mr. Brinkley a 120 hour suspension without pay. According to then sheriff Bill Young, he described the incident as a "practical joke gone awry". The two officers returned to work after serving their suspensions.

On July 1, 2004, LVMPD Sergeant Lawrence Montero was arrested on charges of felony obstruction and battery of a police officer after officers from LVMPD and the Henderson (Nevada) police departments wanted to talk with him, but Sgt. Montero sped away and after a brief scuffle, was taken into custody at a gas station. Sergeant Montero spent one night in jail and was released after posting $4,000 in bail.

In August of 2004, LVMPD detective George "Gregg" Pease was charged with the criminal offenses of using police vehicles for personal use and misuse of a gasoline credit card. Prior to this arrest, Detective Pease was involved in three previous officer involved shootings (all fatal) in 1991, 1992, and 1996. George Pease was placed on administrative leave with paid on June 1, 2004 by LVMPD, and as of February 2012, is no longer employed by the LVMPD in any capacity.

In 2005, Mark Lilly was paid $24,999 by the LVMPD as a result of being arrested in July of 2004 when he claimed that LVMPD officers planted drugs on him to train drug sniffing dogs. Canine officer David Newton placed real drugs in Lilly's car, but forgot to remove the drugs after the training exercise was completed. It was after other officers searched his car that Mr. Lilly was arrested for possession of drugs. Officer Newton realized his mistake, and sent a notice to the prosecutor handling the case, but internal affairs determined that the notice was never received. Additionally, when police officers David Parker and Kevin Collmar testified during Mr. Lilly's preliminary hearing, they never mentioned that Mr. Lilly's possession charge should have been dropped. A LVMPD citizen review panel recommended that Officers Parker and Collmar should be terminated, and that Officer Newton receive a 4 month suspension; the three officers were suspended without pay for a indeterminate period of time. As a result of this case, Sheriff Bill Young ended the long-standing practice of placing drugs in law-abiding citizens cars (for the purpose of training) in April of 2005.

In 2006, LVMPD officer Eric Barros was sentenced to 3 years probation for theft and falsifying evidence during a drug raid. Prior to this, officer Barros had been involved in two previous police shootings in 1999, and 2001. He is no longer employed by the LVMPD.

LVMPD officer James L. Breed drove to Arizona and passed approximately 40 false prescriptions for pain pills at several pharmacies. In June of 2007, officer Breed was arrested on multiple charges of illegally buying narcotics, and in November of 2007, James Breed resigned from the LVMPD, closing out a 15 year career in which he earned the Medal of Honor, and the Top Cop award in 2005. Mr. Breed was sentenced to four years probation and 500 hours of community service on March 31, 2008, and additionally serve six months on house arrest or an additional 350 hours of community service. Mr. Breed explained his addiction to pain killers as a result of a vehicle collision with a criminal suspect, breaking his collarbone and right wrist.

In July of 2007, Raymond Yeghiazarian was killed in a motor vehicle crash in which LVMPD officer Jared Wicks was traveling through an intersection between 60 to 75 miles per hour (the posted limit is 45 MPH) while pursuing a white van and was not using emergency lights or siren (this according to experts). A Clark County Jury in August 2011 awarded a payment of 2.2 million dollars to the relatives of Raymond Yeghiazarian, but this amount was reduced to 250,000 dollars by a judge (being that the maximum civil payment allowed under state law is $250,000). The award itself is being appealed by LVMPD to the Nevada Supreme Court (as of February 2012). The civil attorney for Raymond Yeghiazarian has filed a new civil case in US federal court for 7 million in damages (there are no monetary limitations on awards in federal court), and that LVMPD detectives have been biased in their investigation of this traffic crash (note - the jury in the above case did find that Mr. Yeghiazarian was at least 25 percent responsible as to the cause of the crash).

An internal investigation by LVMPD found that Lieutenant Sean Donnelly abused overtime in 2006 and 2007 in the amount of approximately $1,800. The internal affairs department recommended firing Lieutenant Donnelly (according to Sheriff Douglas Gillespie, but Sean Donnelly chose to retire on July 5, 2007 before the investigation was complete. The investigation showed that Donnelly had violated the overtime policy, the police department's truthfulness policy and had engaged in conduct unbecoming an officer.

On 11 September, 2009, Officer Jesse Gerstel and his partner made a routine traffic stop on the crowded Las Vegas Strip. The policemen ordered the driver, Erik Perez, to turn off his engine, but instead he drove away. Although the area was crowded with pedestrians and other drivers, Gerstel opened fire shooting out the back window of the car. The shooting was ruled unjustified. Officer Gerstel was arrested on charges of domestic violence (unrelated to this shooting incident), and is no longer employed by LVMPD.

In November 2009, LVMPD officer Kevin Koval used a lateral-vascular neck restraint (commonly referred to as a choke-hold) to subdue Dustin Boone (who was behaving erratically and had not been taking medication) after entering his home through a unlocked sliding door. The finding of the coroner's inquest found that the death was 'excusable' (which means accidental), and that Sheriff Gillespie had been advised on the manner of entry to the home, and what kind of risk Mr. Boone actually posed to the public. On May 23, 2011, the LVMPD fiscal affairs committee approved a $1,000,000 settlement with James, Dorothy, and Michelle Boone (all relatives of Dustin Boone).

The Las Vegas Sun reported on November 28, 2009, that twelve (12) LVMPD employees since 2005 were found to be improperly accessing and disseminating criminal history information for reasons unrelated to police work. The revelation came to light as a result of a lawsuit filed by Steven Quinn against LVMPD about obtaining DMV and police information about him improperly. A separate lawsuit against officers Paul Osuch and Kai Degner revealed that Officer Osuch was the source of information leak at LVMPD, and that Osuch retired before he could be interviewed about the matter by LVMPD. Kai Degner was demoted from detective duty back to patrol status as a result of findings by LVMPD internal affairs officers.

The Las Vegas Sun reported on August 11, 2011 that a federal jury had awarded the sum of 2.1 million (reduced to 1.6 million by a federal judge) to Charles Barnard, a resident of Henderson, Nevada as a result of charges of excessive force by LVMPD officers Gary Clark, Greg Theobald and Steven Radmanovich.

On June 6, 2010, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that LVMPD Lieutenant Steve Menger was at the center of a felony narcotics investigation (confirmed by several law enforcement sources) as a result of collecting thousands of Oxycontin, Lortab, and Vicodin pills using phony prescriptions written out of a local doctor's office (a search of Menger's residence recovered large quantities of the above-described painkillers).

On 11 June, 2010 Detective Bryan Yant, was involved in a controversial fatal shooting of Trevon Cole was reassigned to duty as a desk officer following findings that officer Yant violated several several police department policies regarding the preparation and serving of the warrant, in addition to several minor violations. Yant had shot at least three other person in the line of duty up to that point. On January 18, 2012, the family of Trevon Cole (who had been killed by Yant) received a settlement from the LVMPD fiscal affairs committee of 1.7 million dollars (which is the highest amount ever awarded by LVMPD). In addition, it was shown that Bryan Yant made several mistakes when he focused on Trevon Cole and that David Roger (former District Attorney for Clark County, Nevada) and other prosecutors did not believe Bryan Yant's accounting of the shooting.

In July 2010, the LVMPD Fiscal Affairs Committee settled with Calvin Darling, who was initially accused of drunken driving and failure to yield in the death of Officer James Manor for $120,000. The initial reports that Officer Manor had his lights and siren on were incorrect and that Calvin Darling had a blood alcohol level of .035 after being tested (the legal definition for DUI in Nevada is 0.08%). In addition, the Clark County District Attorney office dropped all charges against Mr. Darling.

In August of 2010, LVMPD officer Thomas Mendiola gave a Ruger firearm, and ammunition to Robert Justice, a twice convicted felon as a gift for working on Mendiola's car. As a convicted felon, Mr. Justice is prohibited from possessing firearms of any type in the state of Nevada. Officer Mendiola was charged in January of 2011 with one felony count of furnishing a firearm to a prohibited person. Mendiola was relieved of duty without pay pending the outcome of the criminal complaint against him. As of February 2012, Thomas Mendiola is not employed with LVMPD in any capacity.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported on November 25, 2010 that Lieutenant Paul C. Page, chairman of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Managers and Supervisors Association union has been relieved of his duties and placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation into allegations of misappropriation of union funds. A follow up article shows that LVMPD closed the case against Lieutenant Page was quietly closed without filing charges that he misappropriated $38,521 from the association. Mr. Page also filed for a disability pension shortly after being suspended and while a member of the PERS board. In addition, an internal affairs investigation conducted by LVMPD sustained charges of 'Conduct Unbecoming an Officer'.

In 2010, the Clark County Commission approved changes to the coroner's inquest process that looks into deaths caused by police officers. The move came on the heels of the shooting death by a police officer of an unarmed Trevon Cole, in his home during the execution of a search warrant. In another high-profile officer-involved shooting that prompted the commission's move, Eric Scott, who had a gun, was killed at a large discount store in what became a high-profile case.

The police union advised its members, starting in 2010, to no longer cooperate with coroner's inquests of police shootings.

Two LVMPD officers, Brad Gallup and Jake Grunwald were placed on paid administrative leave in January of 2011 due to being stopped speeding in Northwest Arizona by officers who thought it was unusual that a LVMPD police vehicle in Arizona, and that the vehicle might have been stolen. The officers face discipline for numerous policy violations, including neglect of duty and abandonment of their post. The violations eventually resulted in each officer being suspended for one week without pay (which is the most severe penalty which can be imposed, short of termination).

On March 20, 2011, LVMPD Officer Derek Colling was involved in the beating and arrest of videographer Mitchell Crooks who Officer Colling approached when he observed Crooks filming a police investigation of a reported burglary. Mitchell Crooks has no criminal record in Nevada and, charges of obstructing a police officer and resisting arrest were dismissed by Clark County Justice Court. A claim of excessive force was made to the Internal Affairs division of LVMPD, and on July 29, 2011, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that Officer Colling violated several department policies, and that Mitchell Crook's excessive force complaint was sustained, Deputy Chief Gary Schofield reported. On December 13, 2011, officer Colling was terminated from his position at LVMPD.

On May 26, 2011, LVMPD detective Timothy Nicothodes was driving 98 MPH when he crashed into the back of a pickup truck while driving in Yellowstone County, Montana. Subsequent tests show that his blood alcohol level was between 0.192 and 0.219 percent (the legal limit for DUI in Montana is 0.08 percent). As a result of the charges of DUI, and criminal endangerment, he was placed on administrative leave without pay per LVMPD policy. It was reported on February 17, 2012, that detective Nicothodes plead guilty to DUI, and no contest to criminal endangerment. As a result of his guilty plea, he now faces a pre-termination hearing in March of 2012 (per LVMPD policy, any officer convicted of a felony will be terminated).

On July 8, 2011, the sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Doug Gillespie, along with Assistant Sheriff Ray Flynn, and LVMPD Crime Lab Executive Director Linda Krueger admitted a case of human error involving switched DNA samples by criminalist Terry Cook sent an innocent man named Dwayne Jackson to the Nevada State Prison for a period of 4 years for a crime he did not commit (it turns out his cousin was the actual culprit). David Chesnoff, a local attorney handing Mr. Jackson's civil lawsuit against the department stated that he is a remarkable young man, who is forward thinking and is not bitter. Steve Sisolak, a Clark County commissioner for district "G" and a member of LVMPD's fiscal affairs committee stated that the eventual settlement being reached with Mr. Jackson against LVMPD and it's crime lab could reach into the '7-figure' range, implying a settlement of millions of dollars to Mr. Jackson.

LVMPD Officer John Norman was arrested on Feb 1, 2012 on felony charges of coercion and oppression under the color of office and misdemeanor open or gross lewdness. This was done following separate complaints from two women who officer Norman had detained and/or arrested during which the women were made to expose their breasts, and that one of the women was groped. Officer Norman was released from the Clark County Detention Center on his own recognizance. The initial investigation of officer Norman came in late 2011, when he was apprised of the possible charges against him, and at that point refused to cooperate with investigators, and retained attorneys, one of which is former Clark County District Attorney David Roger. Assistant Sheriff Ray Flynn was quoted as saying that the investigation could take months, and that John Norman could lose his job. On Feb 15, 2012, Assistant Sheriff Ray Flynn reported to the Las Vegas Review-Journal that two more women have come forward with allegations of misconduct on the part of officer John Norman, and that the new incidents of misconduct did not rise to the level of criminal behavior, but could rise to the level of 'conduct unbecoming an officer', and that there are now four (4) internal investigations which are ongoing against officer Norman.

LVMPD in media

• Ocean's Eleven (1960 film) (as Clark County Sheriff's Office)
• Ocean's Eleven (2001 film)
• Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974)
• The Gauntlet (1977)
• Vega$ (1978–1981)
• Diamonds are Forever (as CCSO and LVPD) (1971)
• COPS (featured regularly since 1990)
• Casino (1995)
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000- ) (fictitiously depicted as the "Las Vegas Police Department" in the show)
• Las Vegas (2003–2008)
• Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
• Next (2007)
• The Hangover (2009)
• The First 48
• The video game Grand Theft Auto San Andreas (fictitiously depicted as the Las Venturas Police Department)
• The video game Rainbow Six Vegas

See also

• List of law enforcement agencies in Nevada
• Zane Floyd
• O.J. Simpson and O. J. Simpson robbery case
• Tupac Shakur and The Killing of Tupac Shakur

External links

• Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department web site
• LVMPD Academy and Recruitment web site
• Las Vegas Police Protective Association
• LVMPD Search and Rescue
• LVMPD K-9 web site
• "Protect the City" - Metro Recruiting
• "Injured Police Officers Fund" - Official fund to aid officers injured or killed in line of duty
• Las Vegas Police/Fire/EMS Live Feed
• Officer.com