Editorial: Hailing trouble

Friday, Aug. 17, 2007 | 7:27 a.m.

A d ecision to remove a Taxicab Authority investigator from the Southern Nevada Joint Terrorism Task Force is rightly being criticized by law enforcement officials.

The task force, which is made up of several law enforcement agencies and run by the FBI, is a focal point for anti-terrorism efforts in Las Vegas. Taxicab Authority investigator Ivan Williams was pulled from the task force after being promoted. His boss, Tom Czehowski, the authority's interim administrator, would not commit to replacing Williams, which concerns law enforcement officials.

It should be a given to replace him. Law enforcement officials see great value in having a member of the Taxicab Authority on the task force. Half of Las Vegas' 7,300 taxi drivers are from other countries. Las Vegas Sun reporter Jeff German reported that within the past year Williams identified more than 100 people applying for cab driver jobs as being sympathetic to terrorists.

Federal Air Marshal Service supervisor John Plunkett, who used to run the authority and attends task force meetings, said it would be "a big loss" if the authority permanently pulls its investigator.

"I think it's a very poor choice if they choose not to replace him," said Plunkett, who now is a member of the board that oversees the Taxicab Authority.

Plunkett credited the authority's investigators with routinely providing the task force with vital information.

FBI spokesman Dave Staretz called the authority's presence "extremely important."

It is unclear why Gov. Jim Gibbons' administration would do such a thing. Gibbons, after all, loves to tout his intelligence and anti-terrorism experience from his decade in Congress.

Ron Cuzze, the head of the union that represents the authority investigators, said the state is trying to curb the investigators' police powers, a claim Czehowski disputed.

Regardless, removing the investigator from the task force is a major mistake. Cuzze summed it up well: "You don't remove law enforcement agencies from the war on terrorism. You add them."

Gibbons should listen to that wise advice and make sure the authority reassigns an investigator to the task force.