| Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) | |
| Common name | METRO, Metro PD |
| Abbreviation | LVMPD |
| Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department patch | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Preceding agencies |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 elected to a second term. The sheriff is the only elected head law enforcement officer within the county. As a result the department is not under the direct political control of the city, the county or the state.
Metro is the largest law enforcement agency in the state of Nevada, and one of the largest police agencies in the United States.[1]
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."[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.
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.
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.
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.[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 en route 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, 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.
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.
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.
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:
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:
The LVMPD rank structure is as follows:
| Title | Insignia |
|---|---|
| Sheriff | |
| Undersheriff | |
| Assistant Sheriff | |
| Deputy Chief | |
| Captain | |
| Lieutenant | |
| Sergeant | |
| Officer |
The position of Commander has been used but, as of 2011, is not currently utilized within the chain of command.
This department provides law enforcement services for all of Clark County, including the City of Las Vegas, yielding primary jurisdiction to the following agencies:
The LVMPD is led by the sheriff, second in command is the undersheriff, who is assisted by 4 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 Ssheriffs 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 A/S Lombardo.
The Law Enforcement Operations Group Assistant Sheriff (currently A/S 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 A/S 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 ffficers.
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]
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 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. The drop-out rate is roughly 35 percent.
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). and is similar to the police academy, but somewhat shorter in duration.
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.
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.
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.
For individual unit specifics and detail see following section, "Specialized Unit Specifics".
Organizational Structure in place as of December 2011:
Detention Services Division (DSD)
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 two-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 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.
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. 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 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.
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.
A few high-profile 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 US urban 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 shot at each other. [7]
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.
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]
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.[9]
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. [10]
The family of French citizen Philippe LeMenn, who died while in the Clark County Detention Center in 2001, settled for $500,000 in 2003.
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 enigne, 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.[11]
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.[12]
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.[13]
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.[14] A follow up article shows that LVMPD closed the case against Lieutenant Page quietly 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'.[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 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.[16]
The police union advised its members, starting in 2010, to no longer cooperate with coroner's inquests of police shootings.[17]
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.[18]
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.[19]
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 Derek Colling's excessive force complaint was sustained, Deputy Chief Gary Schofield reported. On December 13, 2011, officer Colling was fired.[20]