Nevada not a terrorist target, official says

Stephen Curran

Monday, Aug. 2, 2004 | 11:01 a.m.

Nevada homeland security officials have not received any specific information outlining threats to the state, a Nevada Public Safety Department official says.

Spokeswoman Kimberly Evans said the department now is monitoring events unfolding on the East Coast, she said, but does not have immediate plans to heighten the state's terror alert warning.

"At this point, there is nothing changing on our end other than being aware of what's happening," Evans said. "In Nevada it's business as usual."

Metro Police have not changed their internal terrorist alert level in response to the change in the national system, Sgt. Chris Jones, a spokesman for the department, said this morning.

He said Metro is working closely with state Public Safety Department to monitor any threats that may be specific to Southern Nevada.

The department is likely to continue monitoring events on the East Coast before changing the local alert level, Jones said.

Metro is generally reluctant to change its internal level, which is changed in conjunction with state homeland security officials, as it raises the expense to taxpayers when the department has to increase the number of officers on patrol, he said.

"It's very expensive for local law enforcement to change the (local) threat level," Jones said. "You may have different personnel needs and various things that are implemented."

Jones would not elaborate on specific changes in protocol if the threat level is changed.

Metro has not received any specific information to justify the added expense, as the national threats center on East Coast financial institutions with little connection to Las Vegas, Jones said.

"It (the threat) is geographically specific," Jones said. "We're just keeping abreast of what's going on."