Keller: Politics fueling deconsolidation effort

Erin Neff

Thursday, Sept. 23, 1999 | 11:13 a.m.

Sheriff Jerry Keller said he wants Metro Police to keep out of the political mess swirling over a reported city plan to form its own police force.

But even with the "I am not a politician, I'm a cop" attitude Keller brought to a meeting with Sun editors and reporters Wednesday, he said politics had to be fueling efforts to deconsolidate his 26-year-old department.

He was especially sensitive to comments made by City Council members suggesting an appointed police chief would be more accountable to them than an elected sheriff, who answers solely to voters.

"I can tell you that one of the city's concerns is that I do not respond well to personal political requests to unarrest people, to not take enforcement action or to use the public enforcement dollars for political or private assignment," Keller said. "And to that extent, they no longer call me for those type of things."

Council members also didn't tell him a move was afoot to break apart his 3,700-employee department even though they work just two floors above him in City Hall. Keller and the Clark County Commission, which, with the city, jointly funds Metro, found out about the proposal when reporters called for response.

Both Keller and Mayor Oscar Goodman said Wednesday they have not seen the internal city study conducted by the Detention and Enforcement Department.

Council members said the preliminary results of that report show the city could save upwards of $15 million annually if it broke away from Metro and formed its own force, ironically using the very department conducting the study as the start-up crew.

Armed with numbers from Metro comptroller Lois Willis that suggest the city force would cost taxpayers more money, Keller is asking the city to conduct an independent study.

"They cannot save $15 million," Willis said. "I would bet my professional career on it."

Goodman met with Keller for the first time Wednesday since the news of the study's leak surfaced last Friday.

"He said this thing caught him totally off guard," Keller said. "My sense was that he did not in any word sense deconsolidation, but in fact, what he told me was that he wanted to do a review of city expenses."

Goodman said he has received the results of one such review since he made his initial request of his city's departments. The office of Business Development told Goodman the Las Vegas Sister Cities program, subsidized by the city, was not bringing in any revenue or international business.

"This situation with Metro is not different," Goodman said. "I just need to see what's in the report before I come to any conclusions."

Several other council members appear ready to approve a split, provided the study's savings numbers are proven real.

Only three council members need to approve deconsolidation in order for the interlocal agreement between the city and county to be broken. If the split is approved, the city must give the county six months notice of its intent to form its own police force.

The council could consider the move next month.

In the meantime, police unions are drawing support from fellow labor organizations, politicians and even gaming industry executives in their fight against splitting Metro.

Boyd Gaming Chairman Don Snyder told Keller he was opposed to the plan and others on the Strip are expected to follow with similar statements.

"I'm a believer that we stay above the fray," Keller said. "If we get into the ugly side of political maneuvering, it doesn't do the mission any good, it doesn't do the community any good."