Police chief announces retirement

Keith Paul and Mathis Winkler

Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2001 | 9:46 a.m.

North Las Vegas Police Chief Joey Tillmon's announcement Monday that he will retire at the end of the month effectively confirmed months-long rumors that he would step down.

Tillmon, 48, did not return calls for comment Monday. In a press release, he said, "I stepped up to the plate. I've taken my swings at bat. And now it's time to walk."

Mayor Michael Montandon said city officials and Tillmon agreed on the chief's retirement after discussing the issue for a couple of weeks.

"Both sides determined we needed a change, so it worked out," he said.

The City Council will vote Oct. 17 on buying two additional years toward Tillmon's retirement, so that he will not be penalized for retiring before age 50. The cost would be about $66,000, city spokeswoman Brenda Johnson said. Tillmon's annual salary is about $109,000.

Montandon said the police department has problems, just as any other city department, but he declined to say whether Tillmon's retirement was linked to specific problems.

Montandon said he would insist on a nationwide search for a new police chief. No interim chief has been named.

Problems in the police department have compounded in the past year.

A series of gang-related slayings in the area of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Carey Avenue have gone mostly unsolved. Residents have cited a fear of retaliation and a poor relationship with the department for not coming forward with information.

The city recently also paid $500,000 to a man who was shot by an officer. The officer claimed the man tried to grab the officer's gun while the suspect was being handcuffed. The officer resigned after the department ruled that the shooting was not justified.

When Tillmon was appointed chief in 1997, he was widely supported by officers and front-line supervisors, officers said. He was promoted from the rank of lieutenant to head the department.

Rank-and-file support of Tillmon early in his tenure was evident, when the chief was publicly criticized by the former city manager. Nearly ever police officer on the department signed a letter supporting the chief to then manager Pat Importuna.

But that support has waned in recent months, several officers said.

"He was not trusted by the command staff," said a North Las Vegas Police officer who requested anonymity. "It didn't have to be this way. When he came in he had a huge amount of support, but it was whittled away by decisions he made."

Tillmon became an officer in February 1980 and was promoted to sergeant in May 1990. He was promoted to lieutenant in July 1996 and to chief in August 1997, when he replaced Alan Nelson, who retired in April 1997 after being arrested on drunken driving charges.

Tillmon had at various times served as a patrol officer, an undercover narcotics detective, a police academy instructor, a SWAT officer, a substation supervisor and a patrol supervisor, city officials said.

Gary Peck, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, praised Tillmon's willingness to talk about creating a citizens review board for North Las Vegas Police. The board would be similar to the one started to review complaints against Metro Police.

"I certainly am not going to speculate about why Chief Tillmon is leaving. My own view is that the problems at the North Las Vegas Police Department are deep and pervasive, and the chief certainly bears some responsibility for those problems, but not sole responsibility," Peck said.

"He deserves credit for his willingness to sit down with the ACLU and other community members to discuss and explore various ways the department might be reformed and made better."

Councilwoman Shari Buck said she has "nothing but very high regard" for Tillmon.

"I believe he's served our city well, and I wish him the best as he goes forward," she said.

Montandon said all council members were briefed on Tillmon's pending departure. But Councilman William Robinson said he was "kind of agitated" because he didn't know any specifics about what was happening.

"If he's retiring, it's awful damn quick," Robinson said. "You don't expect the chief of police to retire, especially when he's young."