Columnist Jeff German: Terrorism threat leads to tense times in LV

Friday, Jan. 21, 2005 | 5:44 a.m.

Jeff German's column appears Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays in the Sun. Reach him at german@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4067.

WEEKEND EDITION

January 22 - 23, 2005

I can't imagine anything more stressful than carrying on your shoulders the weight of protecting a city like Las Vegas from terrorists.

At a news conference late Thursday, Sheriff Bill Young told reporters the latest terrorism threat here turned out not to be credible.

Even though he had good news to report, you could see the strain of dealing with the threat on the sheriff's face.

The FBI had received word Wednesday that terrorists might try to disrupt Inauguration Day ceremonies in Washington and also hit tourist cities, such as Las Vegas. There was no specific information about Las Vegas, and by late in the evening on Wednesday FBI agents determined there was no credence to the threat.

Still, on Thursday, as a precaution, Young put Metro Police officers on alert, and security was heightened at the airport and along the Strip.

The security movements caught the attention of the media, prompting the FBI to issue a news release by mid-afternoon proclaiming that all was well on the homefront.

A couple of hours later, after they were besieged with calls from reporters, Young and Mayor Oscar Goodman decided to call a news conference to further assure the public.

Young has always vowed to inform the public in a timely manner of any serious terrorism threats here. This one, however, didn't rise to that level.

But while explaining that under the lights of the television cameras, Young also suggested that he was prohibited by FBI guidelines from disclosing the specifics of the threat earlier.

When his words filtered back to Las Vegas FBI chief Ellen Knowlton, who was not at the news conference, she became upset.

Knowlton was concerned the sheriff had inferred that the FBI would deliberately withhold threat information from the public.

The FBI, a spokesman said, is just as eager as the sheriff and the mayor to keep the public informed.

Knowlton telephoned Young after the news conference for an explanation of his statements and, according to the FBI, the two got back on the same page.

That was confirmed by Young Friday morning, but neither side would say how things were resolved.

"There is no problem between us," Young said. "The FBI is totally forthcoming."

But the pressure of protecting the homeland remains.

"I'm spending significant time and effort and brain cells of mine on this," Young said after the news conference. "I've only got so many brown hairs left. I'm turning gray rapidly."

The sheriff's commitment to fighting terrorism, however, remains a top priority. He recently created a large Homeland Security Division within the police department, and he's always leading the charge to get Las Vegas more federal anti-terrorism dollars.

At the moment Young is working on a plan that would allow Metro officers to be stationed at the U.S. Homeland Security Department's operations center in Washington. That would greatly reduce the risk of miscommunication between Las Vegas and Washington in the future.

"I'd rather be out there catching burglars and robbers," Young said. "But we're in this game now, and we're going to play it the best that we can."

Young might have slipped up on the public relations front with his friends at the FBI last week. But his willingness to question the federal government's efforts on occasion is not only refreshing, but also reassuring in these uncertain times. The government, after all, doesn't always get things right, either.

One comment Young made last week can't be disputed.

"Terrorism is becoming rooted in our society," he said. "This community needs to be prepared at all times."

More nerves are sure to be rattled in the war on terrorism in the future, and that, frankly, isn't so bad.

It means those obligated to protect us are taking their jobs seriously.