School police chief fired for lack of certification

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2004 | 9:09 a.m.

Clark County School Police Chief Elliot Phelps was fired Tuesday after spending four years on the job without the required state certification.

In order to oversee the district's police force, Phelps was supposed to have been certified by the Nevada Commission on Peace Officers' Standards and Training. District officials said they were investigating how Phelps had been able to hold the job for so long without the certification.

Phelps could not be immediately reached for comment. Superintendent Carlos Garcia, who directly oversees the school police chief, was also unavailable for comment this morning.

Phil Gervasi, president of the Clark County School Police Officers Association, said he was dismayed that the district wouldn't give Phelps a chance to resolve the situation. Phelps had completed the required paperwork for the certification and lacked only a passing score on the physical agility test, Gervasi said.

"The district said they wanted him (Phelps) to pass everything by Sept. 29 but the commission wasn't meeting again until Dec. 2," Gervasi said. "They (district officials) could have given him more time or moved him to another position in the department in the meantime but they didn't want to."

Phelps was under the impression that he had received an extension to apply and complete his certification, Gervasi said. Phelps also conceded that he had let it "go too long," Gervasi said.

School Board President Susan Brager-Wellman said Garcia notified her late Tuesday of the firing.

Brager-Wellman said she believed the superintendent had acted appropriately.

"Once Mr. Garcia knew (of the lack of certification) he had to do something," Brager-Wellman said. "It's not appropriate to say, 'Well, it's been four years, what's a few more months' and keep excusing it."

Brager-Wellman said George Ann Rice, associate superintendent of human resources for the school district, will need to explain how Phelps' lack of certification was not noticed for four years.

"Did he tell them he had it (the certification) and he didn't, was it an oversight -- these are some of the questions I think all of us have," Brager-Wellman said.

Rice was traveling Tuesday and could not be reached for comment.

Hired Aug. 28, 2000, Phelps' annual salary for 2004 was $87,732.

School Police Lt. James Ketsaa has been appointed acting police chief until a replacement for Phelps is hired. In assuming the chief's job Ketsaa may be taking a pay cut -- in 2003 he was the department's top earner when overtime was added to his regular salary. Ketsaa, whose salary was $55,390, had $39,556 in overtime which brought his total pay to $94,946.