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StumbleNorth Las Vegas police say they can’t afford any cuts
Officers show up at City Council meeting in force to drive home point
Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.
Hundreds of North Las Vegas police officers attended Wednesday’s City Council meeting in what a union official said was a “more proactive” stance on the issues of budget cuts and public safety.
“We wanted to make sure [the council] had the information necessary to make informed decisions,” said Terrence McAllister, president of the North Las Vegas Police Officers Association.
Councilman William Robinson said no cuts are planned to the police department.
McAllister said the department is staffed at 78 percent of what it should be, which makes future cuts unfathomable.
To drive home their point, the officers in the crowd wore T-shirts that said, “Your community of choice is only 78% Safe!” The slogan plays off the city’s slogan, “Your Community of Choice.”
“Criminals prey upon others, especially if we let down our guard,” McAllister said, recalling the death of Metro Police officer Trevor Nettleton, who was shot to death at his North Las Vegas home in November.
The city council chambers were so crowded that about a quarter of those who came to the meeting had to wait outside the room.
During the public comments at the end of the meeting, Danielle Nettleton, the widow of Trevor Nettleton, spoke before the council. She said no one had asked her to come on their behalf.
She noted that on Nov. 19, when her husband was shot, North Las Vegas Police responded within two minutes of a 911 call.
“If jobs are taken away, they won’t be able to respond as quickly,” she said. “They’re always there to help me. Please don’t take their jobs away.”
Before Nettleton spoke, North Las Vegas Mayor Shari Buck thanked her for her husband’s sacrifice, and the audience gave Nettleton a standing ovation.
The officers handed out sheets that compared crime rates in North Las Vegas to those in Henderson.
Last year, according to the sheet, there were 17 homicides in North Las Vegas and three in Henderson.
Nationally, there are about 2.5 officers for every 1,000 residents. In North Las Vegas, there are 1.3 officers per 1,000 citizens.
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"Criminals prey upon others, especially if we let down our guard...recalling the death of Metro Police officer Trevor Nettleton, who was shot to death at his North Las Vegas home in November".
We mean no disrespect to Officer Nettleton who appeared to be a good guy. This crime occurred not because this was an officer. This crime occurred because a plain clothed person had their garage door open at midnight.
NLVPD has to fix the problem at the core. We citizens who are victims of crime are being refused to file police reports. If the reports were filed, NLVPD would see the reason for the crime in North Las Vegas. But because we're barred from filing police reports of criminal activity, crime will continue in North Las Vegas.
"Last year, according to the sheet, there were 17 homicides in North Las Vegas and three in Henderson".
Gee, I wonder if it's anything to do with the demographic makeup of the two cities? No, I guess it's just bad luck and bad timing....
So, I guess this means that the officers and fire fighters in North Las Vegas will be taking a pay cut rather than be laid off.
The entire country is "taking a pay cut". Why do they think they should be exempt?
lol...
i love that very, very subtle "spin" on that last sentence. haha.
nationally...people are "residents", but in north las vegas, people are "citizens"?
haha!
ya...right.
what percentage of "residents" in nlv are actual "citizens"?
i think that might be part of the problem. the cops are having to protect illegal aliens that never put a dollar back into the system while citizens that pay taxes go without.
The NLV PD employees need to sit down and shut up. Many of the city's top wage earners in the City are PD staff. They are top heavy get the majority of overtime.
The Council should pay attention to how many complainers are NLV residents i.e. voters. They are so concerned about the City but do they come to Town Hall Meetings, Council Meetings, or community activities or are they just concerned about their pockets. For a dept that makes majority of overtime, what sacrafices have they (PD) made or are they willing to make for the sake of the city or for their own pockets? Also, where did the figures come from, hopefully not the incompetent Finance Director, Phil - he is worthless. Let's focus on what's really wrong in NLV, the leadership at PD and the distribution of funds. Wake Up people. The City of NLV is going to hell in a handbasket fast and we the residents are paying the cost.
Nevada has some of the highest paid police officers in the nation! Time to take a pay cut.
Time for Metro to grow up! There are so many police agencies taking pay cuts. 6% salary cuts seems to be "the norm" and the general consensus among the officers is "they're glad they didn't get permanently laid off". In 2 of the 3 departments I worked for in SoCal, that is exactly what has happened. Although the officers didn't like it, they understood it was a necessity.
My advise to the people of Las Vegas and North Las Vegas is to get rid of the main cause of the problem, the police chiefs, and then move on with whatever budget cuts are necessary to continue to keep the cities running.
The mayor certainly has our support in significantly reducing law enforcement costs, services and personnel in the North Las Vegas community -- As always, the community expects and demands fiscal responsible from all public service sectors.
:-{
They will be safer if they replace all the current police with professional officers from some other jurisdiction.
yourrightlasvegas
"We mean no disrespect to Officer Nettleton who appeared to be a good guy. This crime occurred not because this was an officer. This crime occurred because a plain clothed person had their garage door open at midnight. We citizens who are victims of crime are being refused to file police reports."
Exactly, the unfortunate shooting of Trevor Nettleton was an attack against the citizens of Las Vegas not the police department. It also sounds like NLVPD is controlling crime stats by simply not taking citizen reports of crime! Does anyone know what immediate recourse citizens have when faced with that type of police behaviour?
Is there a possibility for consolidation of all city governments to fly one flag so to speak? All fire departments, police and so on? I would propose someone entity to look into this matter of a large consolidation to elevate duplications. A more central government instead of t "fiefdom effect."
Oh yeah, they are special. This is a joke. Less people, 100,000 people might leave the valley, in fact many have already left. Those empty buildings, and houses can be guarded by private security or by people in exchange for free or reduced rent.
When people file crime reports they are made to feel like they might be suspects themselves. What are you wearing? What is the license number of the car you are driving? Do you know the suspects? Cagey ways of making the victims worry that they might be opening a can of worms, were they might get in trouble.
if the north las vegas police need to make cuts maybe they can start with those 78% t shirts. who paid for those? they are so dramatic,im operating at only 60% maybe i will go on tv with my 60% t shirt, to try and get some sympathy. we are all hurting..
Well the good old boys might be up to staff if they did'nt have such a high loss rate at the pd. If you don't fall in the click or related to somebody you better watch you're back.
Take away the collective bargaining and give these people pay cuts.period.Their union is forcing lay offs by refusing to renegotiate their salary. Not good or fair for the state.
So, the MORE COPS tax wasn't good enough for NLV? The City stole from that and are now crying the blues, with the majority being police officers. What happens if the City has to pay back what was taken? Will new shirts then be made that say 58% instead of 78%? And wouldn't you know, the city manger left, the police chief is still there, an audit is in play --- and so is a coverup (which PD is good at). Well, I guess not good sometimes, they recently got caught on one of them. :-)
I think it is absurd that North Las Vegas would even consider laying off Police personnel and Fire Department Personnel for Budget Cut's...............
Why is it necessary for North Las Vegas City Council to continue (at this time) building the transformation of Craig Ranch Golf Course, and the New NLV City Building, and who knows what else money is being spent on.............
I believe that the Building Projects can be delayed, and that money spent to keep the current employees in the Fire/Police Departments................
Think about it, there is a whole lot of Crime that goes on in North Las Vegas...........................
Why is it that the police departments always scream that when there are cuts it will be less cops on the street?
Police budgets are made up of alot of waste like other government departments.
And NLV PD should be able to sacrifice a raise or COLA for the cause.
BUT NOOOOO SCARE THE RESIDENTS THINKING CUTS MEANS BODIES!!!
"The city council chambers were so crowded that about a quarter of those who came to the meeting had to wait outside the room."
-------------------------------------------
These meeting are always packed with union members making no room for the people that should be there...THE "CITIZENS".
Instead all these unions do is show the public that they are a unicolor t shirt think we can intimidate you group.
HEY CITY COUNCIL, GO AHEAD AND CUT THEIR PAY OR LAY OFF ALL THAT WASTED BRASS THAT DONT PATROL!
WE DON'T MIND!
Sorry Council, I could not tell you that in person. The room was too full of cop union members for me, Joe "Citizen", to get in.
don't cut the policemen's salaries...cut those
$ 200,000 dollar salaries the firemen are getting...$ 200k for sitting around the firehouse watching big screen t.v. all day and eating new york steaks on the public's tab.