Council supports Young’s request for more officers

Thursday, July 22, 2004 | 9:29 a.m.

Clark County Sheriff Bill Young accomplished at least two things before the Las Vegas City Council Wednesday:

"The cause is noble ... our agency is understaffed," Young told the council and viewing audience, noting that Metro Police have 1.7 officers per 1,000 population, while the national average is 2.5 per 1,000.

Young also pointed out that crime was up 12 percent in 2002 and 13 percent in 2003. He pledged that the extra tax money will be used only to hire police, as many as 1,700 new officers in the first 10 years, and would not be used for technology or buildings.

The question is only advisory in nature. But, if voters overwhelmingly approve the concept of raising the sales tax a quarter-cent for four years and an additional quarter of a cent after that, it would give police lobbyists ammunition to gain mandatory legislative approval to hike the sales tax that currently is 7.5 percent.

Young said the extra tax would translate into "better service, quicker response times and a lower crime rate."

While all of the council members spoke in favor of the measure, as did three members of the public, Mayor Oscar Goodman also warned, "you got a rough way to go, buddy," noting that it is a tough sell convincing the public to support raising taxes, even for public safety.

Councilman Steve Wolfson said he hopes the issue of additional cops will "encourage debate on how we pay for more police officers."

Councilman Gary Reese said that at town meetings his constituents constantly say they want more police protection.

"This (advisory question) is just automatic," he said. "We have to support this."

Yet automatic or routine items generally are placed on the consent agenda, where they are passed by a single vote and, for the most part, without comment from either the public, impassioned supporters or the council members -- and they get little or no television exposure.

At Wednesday's council meeting, 52 of the 84 morning agenda items were deemed to be consent issues, including a potential controversial resolution to begin the process of increasing the downtown redevelopment area by three large parcels.

No one on the council asked for that item to be brought forward for discussion or public input from potential area business owners and others who might have passionately opposed it, and it was passed without comment.