Highway Patrol shorthanded in LV area

Thursday, Jan. 30, 2003 | 11:06 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Southern Nevada, with the state's largest population and the most traffic, is 36 percent short of its allotted Nevada Highway Patrol staffing, and it will be several months before those 41 trooper vacancies are filled.

One reason the Highway Patrol is behind in replenishing its ranks is training had to be overhauled, the agency's chief, Col. David Hosmer, told state legislative committees during his budget review Wednesday.

The training had concentrated on city police officer duties and "not the hard core of traffic enforcement," Hosmer said. It included little training in how to reduce accidents, he said.

In the agency's Southern Nevada jurisdiction, 83 fatal traffic crashes claimed 92 lives in 2002, compared with 70 crashes that left 80 people dead in 2001, according to Jim Olschlager, Highway Patrol spokesman.

Although law enforcement can never eliminate traffic accidents, there are things that the Highway Patrol can and should be doing to reduce them, Hosmer told legislators.

Troopers should determine where the majority of accidents are occurring and what steps should be taken to reduce them, Hosmer said. For instance, he said, speed may be a major factor in accidents in one area, while driving under the influence may be the main cause of accidents in another. Troopers could then tailor their enforcement tactics to target the types of problems that are causing the accidents.

Hosmer also said that there has been a 90 percent change in upper management at the Highway Patrol in less than 24 months

"This extraordinary turnover is the result of the prior Highway Patrol command staff leaving rather than be held accountable for their failure to properly recruit, training, promote and supervise," Hosmer said.

Hosmer said some captains, majors and colonels retired, some left for other jobs, some were fired and some departed because of the change of administration, which always happens when a new boss comes in.

As for the turnover among the rank and file, Hosmer said he had about 70 patrol officers in the Las Vegas region. In addition to the 38 patrol vacancies, one captain and three sergeant positions are vacant, he said. Hosmer said he asked for volunteers to transfer from Northern Nevada but nobody stepped forward.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, asked if the patrol was losing people because of higher pay in Las Vegas and Reno police departments.

Hosmer said the salary difference was a major problem. He said officers with three to seven years' experience are leaving to join police agencies in Southern Nevada for better pay.

"Henderson is stealing some," and North Las Vegas has recruited others, Hosmer said.

He said patrol dispatchers who are at the top of their pay scale earn less than the entry-level call-takers with Metro Police.

Raggio, who has been advocating the state share some of the local tax revenue, said the Legislature sees the salary differential in every area of government.

"The major counties have better revenue streams," Raggio said.

The budget proposed by the governor does not provide any pay raises for troopers, but it does increase the staffing allotment to 650. Staffing is currently set at 553.

Statewide there are 800 applicants for patrol positions, Hosmer said.

Scott Simon, president of the Nevada Highway Patrol Association, said he appreciated that there were no cuts in the number of officers. He said the troopers in Southern Nevada are putting in extra effort due to the large number of vacancies.

Also included in the governor's proposed budget are 10 additional Highway Patrol dispatcher positions for Southern Nevada.

To get the extra dispatchers, however, the patrol would be giving up eight trooper positions in other areas, Hosmer said.

Dick Kirkland, director of the state Department of Public Safety, said the Highway Patrol has "finally begun to reduce the number of complaints, lawsuits, tort claim settlements" after a series of serious claims and lawsuits, including a $2.4 million settlement involving a high-speed pursuit.