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Oversight of Metro Police called into question
In wake of car wreck, commissioners wonder if their role is too limited
Mona Shield Payne / Special to the Sun
Honor guard members escort the casket of Metro Police Officer Milburn Beitel after his funeral Wednesday at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Roman Catholic Church in Las Vegas. Beitel died Oct. 8 at UMC hours after his cruiser crashed at Nellis Boulevard and Washington Avenue the previous evening.
Friday, Oct. 16, 2009 | 2 a.m.
Funeral for Officer Milburn Beitel
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Metro Police mourned the loss of their fellow officer, Milburn Beitel III, alongside his family Wednesday at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Roman Catholic Church during his funeral Mass. Beitel died Oct. 8 at UMC hours after his cruiser crashed at Nellis Boulevard and Washington Avenue the previous evening.
Sun Archives
- Metro, family mourn officer killed in crash (10-14-09)
- Injured officer identified, expected to recover from crash (10-9-09)
- Officers in fatal crash responding to non-emergency call (10-7-09)
- City, county may lose say in police pay negotiations (5-16-2009)
- Community mourns police officer killed in crash (5-15-2009)
- Traffic delays likely for Metro officer’s funeral (5-15-2009)
- Funeral services planned for officer killed in crash (5-11-2009)
- Accused driver’s attorney in fatal police crash speaks out (5-11-2009)
- Driver in fatal crash with officer wasn’t drunk, to be released (5-8-09)
- Metro officer killed in collision remembered as ‘caring individual’ (5-8-09)
- Metro Police officer killed on duty in collision identified (5-7-2009)
- Driver who went through police crash site arrested for DUI (5-7-2009)
- Sought: More questions, less rubber stamp (3-31-2009)
- Those that pay Metro's bills -- city, county -- might get more say (3-1-2009)
- Second thoughts on second half of tax (2-25-2009)
- Bill to raise sales tax to hire more cops proposed for 2009 session (9-2-2008)
- Police make pitch to voters (9-24-2004)
As Metro this week memorialized the life of Officer Milburn Beitel III, who died after an on-duty crash, some county commissioners wondered whether it’s time for elected officials to exercise more oversight of the police department and have a greater say in policies governing its officers.
For nearly 30 years what oversight there has been has come from Metro’s Fiscal Affairs Committee, which consists of two county commissioners, two Las Vegas City Council members, and one private citizen. But for as much money as the two entities contribute — Metro’s $549 million budget is funded by Clark County (about 60 percent) and Las Vegas (about 40 percent) — they appear to have little say, or choose to say little, about how the department is run.
The monthly Fiscal Affairs Committee meetings largely involve budget oversight. They fly by with few questions from the board, except newcomer Steve Sisolak, one of the County Commission representatives.
A “rubber stamp” is how former Fiscal Affairs member and Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani characterized the board’s actions in relation to Metro. “We were never asked what we wanted on the agenda (of meetings), so we were always reacting and never were asked to be part of the solution or discussion,” she said.
Some current and former members of the board say that should change. The recent accidents involving Metro officers — including two fatal crashes in five months — highlight that there are situations and department policy that could benefit from outside review.
The department began reviewing driving policies after another officer, James Manor, died in a crash in May. Manor was traveling at over 100 mph before the collision.
“I have great respect for the department and what they do,” Sisolak said. “I think the sheriff and everyone is doing the best they can and are aware of the problem that exists with these accidents ... but I think it would be helpful to get a more independent set of eyes to look at the problem and offer assistance.”
Some officers have told him they don’t like to wear seat belts because they slow their exits from squad cars. “Why isn’t something like that addressed?” he said.
This year state Sen. David Parks, D-Las Vegas, with the assistance of Giunchigliani, introduced a bill to increase county and city representation on the board while giving board members more oversight.
Metro fought it and the bill failed.
Sheriff Doug Gillespie testified before the Senate Committee on Government Affairs in April, saying that three audits since 1981 had found the department was a “lean, well-run, efficient” organization. “If something is not broken, do not interfere with it,” he said.
Opponents of expanded oversight of the department note that it’s run by the sheriff, who is elected. If the public is unhappy with Metro, it can change the department’s direction by voting him out.
Giunchigliani said she still wants to see county and city elected officials have a greater say in the department’s policy.
“It doesn’t mean we change policies,” she said. “But if Fiscal Affairs deals with policy issues, then the representatives can carry those ideas back to the (County Commission and City Council) — make it more of a partnership instead of just saying, ‘Oh, that’s not done on Fiscal Affairs.’ ”
Sisolak said he’s hopeful Gillespie will ask Fiscal Affairs for input on how the department should address its recent string of accidents.
“It’s a real tragedy,” he said. “I’m sure the sheriff is going to come up with something. And I hope we have a part in that solution.”
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"A "rubber stamp" is how former Fiscal Affairs member and Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani characterized the board's actions in relation to Metro. "We were never asked what we wanted on the agenda (of meetings), so we were always reacting and never were asked to be part of the solution or discussion," she said."
Part of a solution? C'mon get real, you and the rest of the commissioners are never a solution, you're the entire problem. I have yet to see any public body be proactive and solve let alone fix anything prior to an event happening. Public bodies are reactive not proactive, this is how the system works and you'll never change it, the only solution that is fixed prior is your pay raises and whatever it takes to make your job easy anything else, forget about it.
Yes. Yes. Yes. Oversight. Good.
Rubber Stamp. Bad
After all of these years, somebody is actually suggesting "oversight?" Metro IS an oversight. It is way too late for that. It always has been a renegade cop shop that has allegedly, done off-the-clock work for politicians, and taken out their own if those good cops didn't go along with the latest "projects." It's going to require more than "oversight." It's going to require bigger guns than that. How about an FBI lock down and investigation???
The first thing is to remove the guy that sees no problem with his lean well run operation that has not only buried two of his own but has injured many other officers and members of the public in this last year.
When you have a problem, management must be changed.
I don't see the need to rummage around in Metro's affairs anymore than we already do so long as somebody puts the brakes on high speed crashes that are taking the lives of our police officers.
Checks & balances, needed here as everywhere.
Fiscal Affairs? C'mon. That's never gonna work.
Who does Gillespie answer to? Don't tell me "the voters." That doesn't wash. We need a Top Cop who's answerable to someone ALL THE TIME. Time to get rid of voting for judges and sheriffs. Buying your way in is not conducive to good Law Enforcement or proper jurisprudence.
This Keystone Cops routine is an extension of the Circus that is Las Vegas. Metro has been hiring cops by the truckload for years, due to it's unbridled growth. Where do you get that many new cops? #1)MONEY. #2)You hire kids. Because typically, you are not going to get a ton of veteran cops from big departments to come here.
TOO YOUNG. NOT ENOUGH TRAINING. NO OVERSIGHT.
Recipe for disaster.
Disclaimer:
I absolutely back Metro Officers 100%, and believe the VAST MAJORITY of Metro's officers are trying their best under less than ideal circumstances. Crap flows downhill.
Agreed with gmag. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The civilan board is a self acknowledged joke and the coroner's inquest is a rubber stamp which makes a mockery of the word justice.
Metro would be better served and more respected if outside oversight was present. Simply claiming that all is fine because the sheriff is an elected official is nonsense.
Call in the Feds, unless they are part of the "fix" . . .then you can either leave the state or simply look the other way like the coroner and the elected officials.
Don't make me laugh. Elected officials are held accountable by the voters.
That's the only way it should be.
"Sheriff Doug Gillespie testified before the Senate Committee on Government Affairs in April, saying that three audits since 1981 had found the department was a "lean, well-run, efficient" organization. "If something is not broken, do not interfere with it," he said."
You're right Sheriff, as long as these lawbreaking public safety hazards under your direction continue to permanently remove themselves from our streets, there is "nothing broken to interfere with".
Would you like another pay raise, how about a new office building, some high-tech toys, or would some more parades suffice?
: )
With two fatal high speed crashes in less than five months, it's obvious that there may be a training or leadership problem within Metro. Time for the do-nothings on the Fiscal affairs Committee to get to work -- or find new jobs. (Do the County Commish's do anything? From the press they get, they don't seem to. I hope we're not paying them anything...)
In an ideal world a panel made up of Rosie O'Donnell, Michael Moore, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson could oversee Metro, balanced with members of Acorn, Act-Up, the ACLU, and the Black Panther Party as well as members of the Nation of Islam and Ha-mas.
But why fight it. If Metro wants to drive around like a bunch of cocky yahoos, that's their problem, and they get the day off for funeral leave.
The fiscal committee is just that, it's for the oversight of Metros budget. The City and County are right to have a say in that.
When it comes to oversight of how the department is run, I don't believe the City or County can have direct say. They could use the power of the purse. The way the office of the Sheriff is set up in this state I think there would be some constitutional problems. Also having the City Council and County Commision with direct control of Metro would be a huge mess.
The Sheriff is an elected official who is accountable to the public. He should start acting like it. In light of these recent crashes and officer deaths he needs to be more forthcoming and explain to the public what he intends to do to stop this problem. The safety of his officers should be number one. He needs to reassure the public that when they call for help the police are going to get to the call and not crash on the way.
Most people on this forum are missing the main point that police work is dangerous and can lead to serious injury and/or death. Let the heroes continue to protect and serve us, the public!
When Metro shot and killed a person per week under Sheriff Bill Young, where was the call for oversight? Two officers killed (at their own hand),and now there is a call for oversight. I call this a very little too late.
It is good to honor police officers killed in the line of duty. Maybe we need to define line of duty. It would be good if the officers were taught a bit about good order and encouraged to be confident but not cocky. It gets confusing when we honor officers who faced a tragic end to their lives which could have been avoided. May the Lord have Mercy on US ALL including the U S of A. Oh, yes police work is tough and dangerous, the criminals and others of us make sure of that. The police have to learn to resist behaviours that make it more dangerous than it needs to be.
OK. Ten days have passed and still no word from Metro regarding the death of the latest "hero" who was killed in a single car accident. The self investigation is proceeding as planned. To those who suggest that the problems of Metro can be solved by voting out the sheriff, maybe you missed the class in constitutional law in high school. Checks and balances are required in any sysem to prevent corruption and abuse of power.
It is time for Metro to be subject to increased oversight by board members which include members of the public.
Theone1,
Please provide proof that under Sherrif Young metro officers used deadly force every week for some extended period of time.