Sunday, July 29, 2012 | 2 a.m.
Last week’s Metro Fiscal Affairs Committee meeting included questions about the donors to the Friends of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Foundation. At almost every meeting, Fiscal Affairs accepts some kind of donation from the group.
Steve Sisolak, one of two county commissioners who sit on Fiscal Affairs, asked for identification of the foundation’s donors. A Metro Police officer said that was private information.
But it isn’t. The foundation lists donors on its website. The list includes Nevada civic leaders, businesses and others.
One of the largest donors in 2011-12, giving $20,000, is Langley Productions, the company that produces the Fox television show “Cops.” “Cops” video crews often are seen on the streets of Las Vegas with Metro officers. Langley Productions also films lurid happenings in the Clark County Detention Center and Metro cops for “Vegas Strip.”
Since Langley donates so much to the foundation, they must make quite a bit of money, right? A 2000 lawsuit by Langley against Fox said their contract included a 50-50 split of net profits (without revealing a profit figure). But does Metro get paid anything?
You would hope so, since Sheriff Doug Gillespie recently announced a hiring freeze and no new police academy due to financial constraints. He is also expected to ask the Legislature for a sales tax increase to help his department.
But no. Metro asks for nothing and gets nothing. A spokeswoman for Langley Productions said no police or sheriff’s department in the country that works with “Cops” gets paid.
(The Clark County Museum receives $300 every time the hit TV show “Pawn Stars” airs an episode with Mark Hall-Patton, the county’s museum administrator. He’s been on about 80 times.)
Why doesn’t Metro ask for money?
A department public information officer, Sgt. John M. Sheahan, said if Metro charged “Cops,” the argument could be made that it also would have to charge local television, the Sun or any traditional news outlets for ride-alongs.
Besides, said Sheahan, Metro isn’t allowed by state law to make a profit by offering ride-alongs.
Still, being on “Cops” is good P.R., Sheahan said, in terms of recruiting.
The department gets nothing, that’s clear. How much does the sheriff’s political campaign get from reality TV producers?
From campaign reports, Langley Productions, which is a big donor to Metro’s Foundation, is a pretty big donor to the sheriff, too. In 2006, Langley Productions gave $10,000 to Gillespie’s campaign. In 2010, John Langley, Langley Productions’ president, gave $10,000 to the campaign, and his company gave another $10,000. In addition, John Langley’s son, Morgan, who produces “Vegas Strip,” gave the campaign $10,000 in 2010.
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Speaking of video and Metro, did Officer Derek Colling ever get his job back after being fired for his attack and arrest of Mitchell Crooks? Crooks was videotaping Colling responding to a burglary report when Colling initiated contact. Metro fired Colling in December 2011. Months later, Metro settled a civil rights lawsuit filed, paying Crooks $100,000.
Colling tried but did not get his job back. Metro’s Civil Service Board recently confirmed the department’s termination of Colling’s employment.
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Quote of the Week
“I have no idea what I sound like in Croatian.”
— Clark County Museum Administrator Mark Hall-Patton, who is frequently seen on History Channel’s “Pawn Stars.” Hall-Patton said the show was seen in 151 countries worldwide, including Croatia.
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