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 E. Stewart Ave., 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 was recently elected to a second term. The Sheriff is the only elected head law enforcement officer within the county. The other major agencies: Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP), Henderson Police Department, North Las Vegas Police Department, Boulder City Police Department, Mesquite Police Department, and Clark County School Police Department are headed by chiefs that are appointed and serve for an indeterminate period.

Metro is the largest law enforcement agency in the state of Nevada, and one of the largest police agencies in the United States.^[1]

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. These agencies ceased to exist upon the creation of the LVMPD. 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."^[2] 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.^[2]

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.

Headquarters

Construction was completed on LVMPD's new 370,500 sq. ft. Headquarters, located at 400 S. Martin L. King Blvd, in mid-2011. LVMPD began moving in July 2011, and finished moving in early November, 2011. The HQ facility comprises of 27 bureaus which were previously located in various leased buildings around Las Vegas. LVMPD's HQ 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 Sheriffs 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.^[3]

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 enroute to a possible domestic violence call.^[4] 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, Metro Police 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 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

Officers with the title of "detective are addressed as such by tradition and custom. However, unlike some other agencies, this is an assignment dependent title and not a formal civil service rank.

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:

• Transportation Safety (Traffic) (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
Under Sheriff
Assistant Sheriff
Deputy Chief
Captain
Lieutenant
Sergeant
Officer

The position of Commander has been used but, as of 2011, is not currently within the chain of command.

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 Under Sheriff, who is assisted by 3 Assistant Sheriffs. The Office of Intergovernmental Services, the Office of General Counsel, The Office of Public Information and the Office of Finance currently report to the newly created Deputy Chief of Staff.

Four of the six elected Clark County Sheriff's 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 under sheriff position has been filled by U/S Jim Dixon. He is second in command to the sheriff.

The Assistant Sheriff for Law Enforcement Services (Currently Raymond Flynn) oversees 3 divisions, each overseen by a Deputy Chief or Division Director. The divisions are: Technical Services Division (made up of the Criminalistics Bureau, Records Bureau, Fingerprint Bureau, and Logistics Bureau), Professional Standards Division (Office of Human Resources, Organizational Development Bureau, and the Internal Affairs Bureau), and the Communication & Technology Services Division (Communications Bureau and Information Technology Bureau).

The Assistant Sheriff for Law Enforcement Operations (currently Theodore Moody) oversees 3 divisions, each led by a Deputy Chief. The divisions are: Detention Services Division (made up of the Records Bureau, South Tower Bureau, Central Booking Bureau, North Tower Bureau, Administrative Operations Bureau, Staff Operations Bureau, and the Low Level offender Bureau), the North Patrol Division (made up of the Downtown Area Command, Bolden Area Command, Northeast Area Command, Northwest Area Command, Support Operations Bureau, and Traffic Bureau), and the South Patrol Division (made up of the Enterprise Area Command, Convention Center Area Command, Southeast Area Command, South Central Area Command, Airport Bureau, and opening in late 2011, the Southwest Area Command (Eldora)).

The Assistant Sheriff for Law Enforcement Investigations (currently Michael McClary) 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 Homeland Security Division (made up of the Counterterrorism Bureau, Vice/Narcotics Bureau, Intelligence Led Policing Bureau, and the Organized Crime Bureau). The third division, Special Operations, was dispersed into the Homeland Security Division and North and South Patrol Divisions during the Sheriff's recent organizational restructuring in early 2011.

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, 3-4 Police Lieutenants, 16 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.^[5]

Training

• The Academy

The LVMPD operates its own training academy -- officially the LVMPD Recruit Training Academy, but referred to by members the department as 'The Academy'. New recruits are required to attend this intense and regimented 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. The drop-out or failure rate of The Academy is roughly 35 percent. The LVMPD has a specific recruitment and Academy website. Visit the LVMPD recruitment and Academy web site.

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 officers. 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 The 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 moves and decisions.

The role of the FTO is also to train the new officer in real-world application of the skills he or she 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.

Those who do not successfully complete field training or probation are not-confirmed, that is, their appointment as police or corrections officers is deemed not to be confirmed during the probationary period defined by civil service - their commissions are revoked and they are terminated from the LVMPD. The combined rate of failure and voluntary withdrawal from FTEP is roughly 5-10%.

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 with the LVMPD.

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 commissioned 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 6 months in order to continue operating a motorcycle for duty.

• Citizen Training

The department also operates two Citizen's Police Academies.^[6] 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".

In early 2011 the department underwent a major reorganization. The continued economic downturn was one of the reasons for the changes. The office of the Undersheriff was not filled upon the retirement of Undersheriff Roderick Jett. The former Special Operations Division that contained many specialized units was dissolved and units formerly assigned were placed into other divisions of the agency. A commissioned Captain position was eliminated (but moved to a newly created Intelligence Led Policing Bureau) in the criminalistics bureau and replaced by a Civilian Executive Director. The Human Resources Division was disbanded and a new Professional Standards Division was formed. Units formerly under the Human Resources Division and in other areas of the agency were combined into the new Professional Standards Division. The reorganization was the largest in the last 10 years of the LVMPD. In addition various bureaus in the LVMPD where also reorganized and sections and details reassigned to the bureaus.

Organizational Structure in place as of May of 2011:

Detention Services Division (DSD)

• Clark County Detention Center (commonly known as "CCDC" by officers)
• Communication & Technology Services Division
  • Communications Bureau
  • Information Technologies Bureau
  • Radio Systems Bureau
  • Fleet Operations Bureau
• Crime Stoppers - [phone]
• Crisis Intervention Team
• YES- Youth Education Services Detail (Formerly DARE)
• Field Training Officer (FTO)
• Homeland Security Division
  • Vice/Narcotics Bureau
  • Counterterrorism Bureau
    • ARMOR Section
    • Counterterrorism Section
    • SWAT
      • Crisis Negotiation Team
    • Emergency Management
  • Intelligence Led Policing Bureau
    • ANSEC (Analytical Section)
  • 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
• North Patrol Division
  • Northwest Area Command
  • Bolden Area Command
  • Downtown Area Command
  • Northeast Area Command
  • Traffic Bureau
  • Support Operations Bureau
    • Mobile Crime Saturation Team
    • Special Events Section
    • Air Support
    • Search and Rescue
    • Laughlin
    • Resident Officer Section
    • K-9
• South Patrol Division
  • Enterprise Area Command
  • Southwest Area Command (opens Fall of 2011)
  • 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
  • Airport Bureau
• Professional Standards Division
  • Office of Human Resources
  • Internal Affairs Bureau
  • Organizational Development Bureau
    • Firearms Range
    • EVOC
    • In-service Training
    • AOST
    • Academy
    • CIRT
    • Quality Assurance
  • Personnel Bureau
    • Metro Volunteer Program
• Technical Services Division
  • Criminalistics Bureau (CSA a.k.a. CSI)
  • Records Bureau
  • Fingerprint Bureau
  • Logistics Bureau

Specialized Unit Specifics

SWAT The LVMPD SWAT Team is a nationally respected organization. The team is composed of nearly 40 operators, they are one of a handful of full-time SWAT Teams in the country. The team's main objective is to save lives, victims and suspects alike. 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 2 man cells. They are not actually called the 'Zebra Squadron' as it is asserted by the narrator on an often repeated cable documentary. However, their designated LVMPD callsign is Z, phonetically in the LVMPD alphabet- Zebra. They are referred to individually as Zebra units. Rarely they are called Team Zebra. The individual officers are denoted by their seniority in the unit. Therefore Z1 (or Zebra 1) is the most senior operator and Z37 would be junior. This nomenclature applies to many other units within the department as well. LVMPD SWAT conducts their training both for LVMPD recruits and seasoned officers within the department as well as visiting agencies from across the country. In a 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 with 160+ motor officers assigned to it, including sergeants, lieutenants, and a captain. 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.

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 of the dogs 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 because of their high hunt and play drives. Also have six Explosive Detector Dogs used to locate many various types of 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 Black and Yellow Labradors. The sixth is assigned to the Resident Section, Laughlin and is a Black Labrador.

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.

LVMPD does not issue handguns to recruits. When recruits enter the Academy, they are issued inoperable handguns and a holster. These handguns are carried by the recruits for training purposes during the first week of the academy. As the academy progresses, the recruits receive firearms selection training. (This training is designed to assist in making a decision on the selection of an appropriate duty handgun.) Once recruits have received this training, they are allowed to privately purchase and carry a handgun authorized by LVMPD Policy. The LVMPD Firearms Policy is covered in detail during training.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has several qualifications on what type of firearm may be carried:

1) The firearm MUST be manufactured by:

Beretta, Colt, Glock, Kimber, Para Ordnance, Wilson Combat, Uberti Ordinance, Heckler & Koch, Ruger, Sig Sauer, Springfield Armory, Steyr Mannlicher, or Smith and Wesson.

2) The firearm MUST be chambered in either: 9mm, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP.

3) The firing mechanism must be:

Traditional Double/Single action (Beretta, H&K, Ruger, Sig Sauer pistols), Single action (1911-style pistols), Striker-fired or "safe-action" (i.e. Glock and Steyr "M" pistols), Double-Action only (i.e. Smith & Wesson 5946 pistol)

4) The finish must either be blued/black or stainless steel.

5) Barrel length must be at least 3.5 inches and not exceed 6 inches.

6) Grips must be either a high-impact plastic or rubber (black in color), or wood; and must be designed to be used with either hand.

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 few high-profile police misconduct cases within the department have caused controversy. In 1998, an 18-year veteran, Sgt. 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.^[7]

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.^[8]

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.^[9]

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 LVMPD 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.^[10]

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported on November 25, 2010 that Lt. 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.^[11] A follow up article shows that LVMPD closed the case against Lt. Page quietly without filing charges that he misappropriated $38,521 while chairman of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Managers and Supervisors 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'.^[12]

On March 20th, 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 was prosecuted on old warrants stemming from previous arrests on drunken driving and petty theft, but 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 29th, 2011, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that officer Colling violated several Metropolitan Police Department policies, and that Derek Colling's excessive force complaint was sustained, Deputy Chief Gary Schofield reported. Officer Colling has been on paid suspension since April 1st, 2011, and that the discipline board is determining what punishment he should face (which could include termination).^[13]

In July of 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. ^[14]

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

In 2011, the police department paid $1 million to the family of a man who died after an officer put a "sleeper hold" on him. The 29-year-old victim, Dustin Boone, died in November 2009 after an officer put him in a lateral-vascular neck restraint. The restraint cuts blood flow to the brain.^[15]

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 Trevon Cole, an unarmed man, 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.^[16]

LVMPD in television and film

• 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 (TV series) (featured regularly since 1990)
• Casino (film) (1995)
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000- ) (fictitiously depicted as the "Las Vegas Police Department" in the show)
• Las Vegas (TV series) (2003–2008)
• Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
• Next (2007)
• The Hangover (film) (2009)
• The video game Grand Theft Auto San Andreas (fictitiously depicted as the Las Venturas Police Department)
• The video game Rainbow Six Vegas
• The First 48

See also

Law enforcement/Law enforcement topics portal

• List of law enforcement agencies in Nevada
• Zane Floyd
• O.J. Simpson and O. J. Simpson robbery case
• Tupac Shakur^[17] and The Killing of Tupac Shakur

References

1. ^ Federal Bureau of Investigation: Uniform Crime Reports. 2009. http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2009/data/table_78.html
2. ^ ^{a b} Zapler, Mike (1999-03-11). "Police use of workforce draws praise". Las Vegas Review-Journal. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=LVRB&p_theme=lvrb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_text_search-0=dmg%20AND%20maximus%20AND%20metropolitan%20AND%20police&s_dispstring=dmg%20maximus%20metropolitan%20police%20AND%20date(1/1/1999%20to%201/1/2000)&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date:B,E&p_text_date-0=1/1/1999%20to%201/1/2000)&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no.html. Retrieved 11 March 1999. 
3. ^ Planas, Antonio (2006-02-02). "Slain officer is 17th Southern Nevada law enforcement officer to die on duty since 1933". Las Vegas Review-Journal. http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Feb-02-Thu-2006/news/5673181.html. Retrieved 18 February 2009. 
4. ^ Mower, Lawrence (2009-05-21). "DEADLY CRASH: Officer was driving 109". Las Vegas Review-Journal. http://www.lvrj.com/news/45619762.html. Retrieved 28 December 2009. 
5. ^ "IACP/Wilmington University Award for Outstanding Achievement in Law Enforcement Volunteer Programs". International Association of Chiefs of Police. http://www.theiacp.org/About/Awards/OutstandingVolunteerProgramsHonored/tabid/282/Default.aspx. Retrieved October 18, 2011. 
6. ^ "CITIZEN'S POLICE ACADEMY". http://www.lvmpd.com/programs/citizen_academy.html. Retrieved 2009-02-18. 
7. ^ Las Vegas Sun,"Metro sergeant retires over exposure charge," by Cathy Scott February 10, 1998
8. ^ Las Vegas Sun,"Guilty cop to serve time elsewhere," by Kim Smith August 23, 1999
9. ^ Las Vegas Sun,"Man who claimed excessive force wins $1.6M judgment against Metro" by Steve Kanigher August 11, 2011
10. ^ Las Vegas Review-Journal,"Las Vegas police reveal DNA error put wrong man in prison " by Lawrence Mower and Doug McMurdo July 8, 2011
11. ^ Las Vegas Review-Journal,"Police union head suspended " by Francis McCabe Nov 25, 2010
12. ^ Las Vegas Review-Journal,"Case against ex-head of police managers union closed quietly " by Jane Ann Morrison July 16, 2011
13. ^ Las Vegas Review-Journal,"Police inquiry reveals violations in arrest, beating of videographer " by Mike Blasky July 29, 2011
14. ^ http://www.lvrj.com/news/calvin-darling-settlement-with-las-vegas-police-approved-99244624.html Las Vegas Review-Journal, Police settlement with Calvin Darling approved, by Brian Haynes
15. ^ Las Vegas Sun, "Metro Police pay $1 million to family of choke hold victim," by Joe Schoenmann, May 23, 2011
16. ^ Las Vegas Sun, "County Commission OKs changes to coroner’s inquest process," by Kyle Hansen, December 7, 2010
17. ^ Las Vegas Sun, "Shakur's mother rips Metro Police," by Cathy Scott, February 5, 1997

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