Editorial: Straight shooter’s legacy

Thursday, May 11, 2006 | 7:23 a.m.

We have to admit that we were just as surprised as the rest of the Las Vegas Valley when we heard Monday that Sheriff Bill Young had decided against running for re-election this year. Young was a shoo-in to win his race, but just days before the end of candidate filing he decided against a second four-year term.

Young is endorsing Undersheriff Doug Gillespie, who now becomes the front-runner in the race.

The sheriff, in declining to run again, cited a number of factors for doing so: the deaths of his mother and uncle, the killing of Metro Police Sgt. Henry Prendes and the fact that such an all-consuming, 24/7 job has prevented him from spending as much time with his family as he wanted.

Young has faced some tough situations as sheriff. One of the toughest challenges came in the wake of 9/11, when it was discovered that some of the terrorists spent time in Las Vegas before the attacks. Since then Las Vegas has come to be viewed as one of the top terrorist targets in the country, meaning that Metro has had to redirect much more of its energy to anti-terrorism efforts, including coordinating with federal authorities.

One of the most refreshing things about Young is his directness - and in the area of homeland security, specifically his dealings with the federal government, he couldn't have been clearer. Young has blasted Homeland Security officials for failing to provide adequate anti-terrorism funding for police agencies in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Young is a Republican, but he had no qualms about criticizing a Republican administration if he believed that its actions could jeopardize the safety of Las Vegans.

Young also did what most elected officials are loath to do - he successfully fought for a tax increase that will create a perpetual funding source to hire police officers. He also is an incredibly open elected official and he has been willing to admit when Metro made mistakes - two traits that too often are in short supply among elected officials.

Young has faced some daunting challenges in his time as sheriff, but it is safe to say that Las Vegas is a much better place because of his service.