Police: No credible threats found to Las Vegas Valley

Keith Paul

Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2001 | 10:09 a.m.

Federal and local police intelligence officers screened tips and potential threats throughout the night, but no credible attacks on Las Vegas were discovered, according to Sheriff Jerry Keller.

However, several threats were taken seriously enough Tuesday to stir action, such as the rumors of explosives at the Hoover Dam that led Metro Police to send out a helicopter for a flyover and a bomb-detection dog to sniff the area. Nothing was discovered, and the threat was determined to be a hoax.

The intelligence gathering will continue, Keller said, but area police pulled back from their "heightened state of alert" and moved back to normal shifts Tuesday afternoon after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington D.C.

"We'll maintain our intelligence operations at least through tonight and check on every call to determine if there is a threat," Keller said Tuesday afternoon. "We have checked on numerous information, but there have been no actual threats."

FBI, Air Force, Secret Service and other federal agents were joined by a couple of Metro Police intelligence officers in fielding calls and assessing the veracity of tips.

"We are following up any information, but really there has been just a trickle coming in. We have not gotten anything that has been significant," Metro Police Deputy Chief Bill Young said. "Bomb (detection) dogs checked out the dam and Metro's helicopter flew over the dam, but nothing was found."

Metro's helicopter was the only aircraft flying in Clark County after the Federal Aviation Administration grounded all commercial flights across the country.

Local police were at a "heightened awareness" but as the Tuesday wore on, no additional officers were called in and police activity moved back to normal, Keller said.

North Las Vegas Police didn't call in any additional officers but are slowly coming down from the heighten awareness, Chief Joey Tillmon said.

"We're going to stay heightened a little bit. I think everyone is still in shock," Tillmon said. "They have already showed they can reach out and get us."

Young said on a normal day, law enforcement officials receive tips about threats against Nellis Air Force Base and Hoover Dam, and those are the same types of information they were getting Tuesday. All of the tips were checked out.

"This country will change forever because of this day," Young said.

When asked the mood of the intelligence officers handling calls, Young paused for a moment and said, "It's professional. We're just trying to find out as much as we can, like everyone else. We just want to know what's going on in New York City and Washington, like everyone else."

Keller cautioned anyone who had thoughts of seeking retaliation against local residents or visitors of Middle Eastern descent.

"Officers who have mosques in their beats will ride by them," Keller said. "If anyone takes matters into their own hands, they will be dealt with in full accordance of the law."

Keller said he heard of no incidents of assaults on local residents of Middle Eastern descent.

"Retaliation is the absolute last thing that needs to occur here," Keller said. "The core of America has been that we benefit from the differences, and we ask no one to retaliate."

The Nevada Highway Patrol and the Arizona Department of Public Safety shut down traffic across Hoover Dam, with cars being detoured south through Laughlin, NHP spokesman Trooper Alan Davidson said.

Police and federal government officials were meeting this morning to determine if the Hoover Dam will be reopened today.

"The governor has asked that we have heightened security across the state," Davidson said. "We've stepped up security and are just more alert for suspicious situations. We'll do a few more drive-bys to check up on government buildings."

The Grant Sawyer State Office Building, 555 E. Washington Ave., which houses 14 state agencies, went into a lockdown at 9 a.m., Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt said.

"People were being carefully checked as they went in and out of the building," Hunt said. "We hope to conduct business as usual."

The federal courthouse went to a high level of alert Tuesday morning, and closed about 1:30 p.m., U.S. Marshall Leonard E. Boyer said. Some judges in District Court cleared their calenders and sent their staffs home.

The Nellis Air Force Base and downtown branches of the post office were also closed.

Sun reporter Jace Radke contributed to this story.