Sheriff: No evidence of crime in land swaps

Tuesday, March 15, 2005 | 9:43 a.m.

Clark County Sheriff Bill Young said Monday he met with Ellen Knowlton, special agent in charge of the Las Vegas FBI office, about two weeks ago to discuss the investigations into airport land sales and that the local and federal probes are different.

Young said that Metro Police's role is to concentrate on specific evidence, different from a federal investigation.

"What we're looking for is evidence of crimes," Young said during "Face to Face With Jon Ralston" on Cox cable channel 19.

So far, the sheriff said, there has been no evidence indicating a crime has been committed after profit was made from selling former federal land parcels to developers.

"Hopefully we won't find any signs of crime," Young said.

The sheriff said there is an ongoing federal investigation into political corruption, but did not comment on a possible link between the two probes.

So far, the FBI, Metro and county auditors are investigating the airport land sales. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., has called for an inspector general's audit.

"It's better to cover all the bases on the front end," Young said.

On an initiative that would legalize up to 1 ounce of marijuana, Young insisted that he does not support legalizing any amount.

Young agreed with Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, a Henderson deputy police chief, who promised legalizing marijuana would not clear the Assembly under his watch.

"Legalizing marijuana is the wrong thing to do," Young said.

The sheriff said that nine times out of 10 when officers arrest violent criminals there is a connection to drugs.

"It always seems to start with marijuana," he said.

Casual marijuana users are not being jailed in Clark County, contrary to what those who support legalizing marijuana say, Young said.

Drug violators going to prison are trafficking large amounts of drugs such as heroin or crack cocaine.

"Do we really need more impaired people under the influence driving motor vehicles?" Young asked, then recounted the deaths of four people Monday at a Citizens Area Transit bus stop, the deadly crash that killed three at Sahara Avenue and Fremont Street and the four deaths in a head-on collision on U.S. 95.

It has not been determined if the parties responsible for each of the crashes were impaired from alcohol or drugs.

Advocates of the marijuana measure argue that legalizing small amounts of the drug for adults, while tightening penalties for dealing the drug to minors and driving under the influence, is a better way to handle the war on drugs.

Young also said that he supports a 1/4 to 1/2-cent sales tax increase in Clark County to allow Metro Police to hire 60 new officers.

Basically, the sheriff said he wants a stable source of revenue.