Friday, Feb. 14, 2003 | 11:28 a.m.
CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn's plans to cut the state Division of Investigations by nearly 50 percent has drawn opposition from law enforcement officials who say it will lead to a major increase in drug trafficking in rural Nevada.
Metro Police Lt. Stan Olsen said the reductions "would be devastating to law enforcement particularly in rural Nevada."
But Olsen said the officers of the state agency also play an important part in the urban areas. He cited the quick response of two state investigators to the stabbing of two young children in Mesquite aided in the quick arrest of the suspects.
White Pine County District Attorney Richard Sears said the loss of the two state investigators in eastern Nevada "will make it very difficult" to keep the lid on the methamphetamine drug labs. "I don't know how we can prevent the cooking (of the drug) and transporting it into your county," referring to Clark County.
Philip Brown, chief of the state Division of Investigation, told the committee the governor's budget calls for a reduction of the present 79 authorized staff to 40. He said six to eight months ago, he had 81 people in the agency. With the three percent budget reductions ordered earlier, that number was reduced to 79 positions, of which 70 are now filled.
He read a letter from David Kieckbush, deputy director of the state Department of Law Enforcement, that said sheriffs and police have the primary responsibility for law enforcement efforts.
Kieckbush said the governor feels there should not be duplication. His letter said that he was confident that if there was additional revenue that Guinn would consider restoring the cuts.
Olsen challenged Guinn's suggestion there was a duplication. He said these state officers have special training. And law enforcement officials from rural Nevada said these officers, often members of undercover drug task forces, are invaluable.
Assemblyman Pete Goicoechea, R-Eureka, told the Senate Judiciary Committee today said these reductions will "put the welcome mat out to all drug dealers."
Assemblymen John Carpenter, R-Elko, and Tom Grady, R-Yerington, echoed Goicoechea. Carpenter said the downsizing of the investigative unit will "create a crisis of major proportions in rural Nevada."
"NDI (investigations division) is our homeland security," he said.
Brown acknowledged there would be more duties on his division with the terrorist threat. He also said, "Certainly the personnel cuts won't come without consequences."
Under the proposed downsized division, Brown said there would be one unit of six officers in Clark County to cover all of the southern part of the state. There would be two officers in Elko and the rest would be stationed in Carson City to cover the rest of rural Nevada and Washoe County.
Sen. Dennis Nolan, R-Las Vegas, questioned if there might be federal funds available under the homeland security legislation to restore the proposed cuts. But Brown said most of the money is going to "first responders."
The judiciary committee does not have any authority to restore the cuts. It will be up to the budget committees to make the decisions on the governor's budget.
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