Deputy chief recalls the solved cases and the ones that got away

Keith Paul

Friday, March 23, 2001 | 11:11 a.m.

Metro Police Deputy Chief Mike Hawkins officially retired last week after a 30-year career that included years of working undercover and working on the investigation into the kidnapping of casino owner Steve Wynn's daughter in 1993.

Hawkins, 52, started out as a cop in 1971 and soon became an undercover narcotics detective.

"I was living a double life for years," Hawkins said. "I was making a lot of heroin, cocaine and PCP buys. I was young and always looking for the next French connection."

Hawkins said he was proud how Metro and the FBI were able to track down the kidnappers of Kevyn Wynn in September 1994. Steve Wynn, then the Mirage Resorts chairman, paid $1.45 million in cash for the safe return of his daughter. Police weren't called until after Kevyn Wynn was returned.

"We figured out the pay phone one of the suspects used to call Steve Wynn, and luckily for us he also used the phone to call his girlfriend before he called in the demand for the ransom," Hawkins said.

Within 72 hours all three suspects were in custody and $1 million of the ransom money had been recovered.

But like most cops, Hawkins is retiring with some regrets of cases he wasn't able to solve.

"What bothers me the most is I know there is someone out there who got away with murder," he said. "I think about Stephanie Isaacson."

She was the 14-year-old girl who disappeared in 1989 while walking to school. Her body was later found in a desert area near Stewart Avenue and Nellis Boulevard

"I still feel bad about not getting that solved for the family," he said.

Hawkins said 30 years ago it was easier to be a cop when all that was expected was to keep the streets free of crime. As policing changed, so did the expectations.

"People expect a lot more from police today. Now society wants us to solve a lot of their social ills," he said. "We work on a lot of quality of life issues, which isn't bad because those problems can lead to crime."

Hawkins' retirement surprised some at Metro because he never really talked about leaving. Other cops have their retirement planned out and have pinpointed years in advance the day they leave.

"I wanted to get out while I'm still happy to come to work," he said. "I see some people, especially law enforcement, get really bitter at the end."