Metro Police rallying against deconsolidation

Jace Radke

Wednesday, Sept. 29, 1999 | 10:17 a.m.

Sometime in the last two weeks someone, somewhere first said the words "Metro" and "deconsolidation" in the same sentence, touching off a rumor-driven political wildfire.

At the heart of the fire is an unseen, unfinished report alleged to conclude that the city of Las Vegas could save millions by breaking ties with the Metropolitan Police Department and starting its own police force. Currently, the city and Clark County are partners in funding Metro, which in turn provides service to both jurisdictions.

The threat of breaking up the department has been enough to rally Metro Police, who have taken to campaigning against deconsolidation at every opportunity, including a rally at the Clark County Government Center Tuesday afternoon.

"We're sending a message loud and strong to the mayor, City Council and the public," Undersheriff Richard Winget told a crowd of more than 300 Metro employees and their families in front of the government center. "We're letting everyone know we're strong, armed with the facts and we aren't going away.

Winget joined Sheriff Jerry Keller, County Commissioner Lance Malone and the presidents of the three unions representing Metro employees to rally against deconsolidation.

Andy Anderson, president of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, said the union is ready to fight deconsolidation if it is passed by the City Council.

"We talked to our bankers this morning, and if needed, we will mortgage the PPA building for $1 million to support Metro Police," Anderson said.

The PPA and its sister union for civilian Metro employees number nearly 3,000 members and have already pledged to spend $25,000 fighting deconsolidation after learning of a study being conducted by city staff.

Las Vegas City Manager Virginia Valentine said that the study, which analyzes law-enforcement spending by the city, should be completed in a couple of weeks.

Keller said that since the deconsolidation talk surfaced his phones have been ringing off the hook.

"We've been getting a lot of calls from employees that are scared about losing their jobs," Keller said. "We've also been receiving thousands of calls a day overwhelmingly against deconsolidation.

"I've talked to some City Council members, the mayor, bankers, architects and casino owners, and they all say Metro is doing a fine job. If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

The Clark County sheriff's office and the Las Vegas Police Department combined in 1973 to lower costs and avoid duplicating services like evidence vaults, forensics labs and jails.

"We've reviewed the maps and the facts and better service with lower costs is impossible," Winget said. "The city picked up 9 1/2 percent of its general fund because of the consolidation. Why go back to the wasteful ways of deconsolidation?"

Many of the Metro officers and employees gathered on the grass in front of the county amphitheater wore shirts or held signs with a broken Metro badge on them while they listened to Keller, Winget and the others.

Anderson called for the crowd to attend the Oct. 6 City Council meeting to show Metro's solidarity.

"This is still a very real threat, and not one city councilman or the mayor have come out publicly opposed to deconsolidation," Anderson said. "They are hiding behind a report."

Malone offered his support to Metro, adding that the rumor of deconsolidation has stalled the efforts of the county.

"This is having horrible ramifications because the county has taken the position of holding off on the agreement to jointly build five new needed police substations with the city," Malone said. "Those substations will be stalled until the city says enough's enough and ends this."