Citizens not heard in citizen review board talks

Erin Neff

Thursday, March 2, 2000 | 11:31 a.m.

After years of haggling over words and responsibilities, the city and county appear to be making progress toward forming a Metro Police Citizen Review Board.

But now -- at arguably the most important step in the lengthy process -- citizens are not being heard.

Clark County Manager Dale Askew and Las Vegas City Manager Virginia Valentine are narrowing a field of 15 applicants to head the review board without involving anyone from the committee that initially performed so much of the legwork to form the board.

"I think that's a real shame," said Franny Forsman, the federal public defender who chaired the diverse committee that recommended how the review board should operate. "This whole citizen review board has to have the credibility of the community.

"I just fail to understand why they're ready to take the most critical step in this process and there's no public involvement."

Askew said he thinks that he and Valentine are capable of narrowing the field of 15 candidates to a group of two to five finalists without input.

"Once we weed that out, we can talk about putting together a panel to give us input," Askew said.

Valentine believes the authority over the hiring rests solely with her, Askew and their related boards.

"I think we would like to move forward pretty quick," Valentine said. "It is our intent to involve other people in the selection process later."

Forsman sent a letter to both Askew and Valentine last September offering anyone on her committee to assist them in determining the qualifications needed for an executive director.

She said she has yet to hear from either manager. Forsman sent another letter with the same offer of help this week.

"This is an individual position that's going to require some very special qualities," Forsman said. "This is not a job that is a bureaucratic job."

Askew said he views hiring the director as a simple staffing decision.

"We would like to get this thing moving, get the director hired and then the much larger issue looms -- appointing board members," he said.

The review board was first proposed in 1996 in light of an increasing public perception that Metro Police officers were able to act unchecked. Several high-profile cases fueled that perception, including the drive-by shooting of 21-year-old Daniel Mendoza at the hands of then-Metro Officer Ron Mortensen in 1996.

Forsman's committee, comprising representatives of government, police, civic groups and residents, spent more than a year hammering out a plan that would create an independent review board of Metro.

Currently, allegations of misconduct by Metro officers are reviewed by the department's Internal Affairs Division -- and in cases of fatal shootings by officers during a coroner's inquest.

Critics argue neither are truly independent. Inquests, run by the district attorney's and coroner's offices, have found an officer at fault only once in Clark County, and that finding was overturned by a grand jury.

But those who are critical of the review board claim private citizens do not have the working knowledge needed to police the police.

Both the Las Vegas City Council and Clark County Commission authorized formation of the review board, but spent another eight months haggling over who had the authority to hire or fire the director.

During those arguments, both county commissioners and council members remarked how crucial the director was to the success of the planned 25-member board.

The County Commission will appoint 13 board members and the City Council will appoint 12. Both governments share in the cost of the board, with the city funding $57,000 and the county $77,000.

Askew said he thinks he will know by week's end how many of the 15 applicants will be interviewed for the position.

Erin Neff covers Las Vegas government for the Sun. She can be reached at (702) 259-4062 or 229-6436, or by e-mail at erin@lasvegassun.com.