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By Conor Shine (contact) 
Friday, Jan. 25, 2013 | 2 a.m.
Clark County commissioner, Chris Giunchigliani
Questions surrounding involvement of the Las Vegas Township Constable’s Office in the Assemblyman Steven Brooks case — the latest in a series of controversies involving the constable — has county commissioners looking at abolishing the office.
Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani said she planned to introduce an agenda item to discuss what can be done with the constable’s office, which she said had been a source of “never-ending” problems for the commission for two years.
Since John Bonaventura was elected Las Vegas township constable in 2010, the office has been dogged by controversies including allegations of sexual harassment, the filming of a profanity-laced reality television show pilot and engaging in lawsuits against constable’s offices in other jurisdictions.
“He’s done many very bothersome things with the office that call it into question,” Giunchigliani said. “It causes us to step back and ask (if we are) duplicating services.”
The latest incident came Wednesday, when a member of the Las Vegas Township Constable’s Office was at the Legislature in Carson City, allegedly providing protection to Brooks, who was arrested over the weekend.
Brooks, who is out on bail, is accused of threatening fellow Democrat and Speaker-elect Marilyn Kirkpatrick. Authorities said they found a loaded Smith & Wesson handgun and 41 rounds of ammunition in the vehicle Brooks was driving at the time of the arrest Saturday.
John Bonaventura, shown in 2004 as a candidate for the Clark County Commission.
Giunchigliani said protection services are “absolutely not part of the (constable's) duties in any way, shape or form.”
The constable’s office has denied that it offered protection to Brooks, contradicting statements made by Brooks’ lawyer, members of the Legislative Police and, unwittingly, members of the constable’s staff.
In an accidental phone call made to a Sun reporter, members of the constable’s office were overheard discussing plans for “a cover story” about the trip to Carson City and referenced a conversation with Brooks.
“I just don’t know how to take some of the stuff (Bonaventura’s) coming up with anymore,” Commissioner Steve Sisolak said. “There’s a total lack of transparency when you have one person in the office saying one thing to one group and a different thing to another group.”
Sisolak said attempts to rein in the office weren’t working and it may be time to explore other options.
The primary job of a constable’s office is to enforce evictions and serve civil documents such as subpoenas, property liens, court summonses and wage garnishments. Constables officers carry guns and Tasers, but rarely take people to jail.
“I would definitely be supportive to investigate the constable office’s jurisdiction and what they should be doing, their function,” Sisolak said.
In Clark County, there are constable offices in 11 townships, including Las Vegas Township. The others are in Henderson, North Las Vegas, Mesquite, Boulder, Laughlin, Moapa Valley, Moapa, Goodsprings, Bunkerville and Searchlight.
Although any changes to the duties of the constable’s office would have to occur at the legislative level, Giunchigliani said she thought the county had the option to not have a constable’s office at all.
“We have authority to make a determination whether the office is needed any longer, and I want to discuss it with my colleagues,” she said.
If a constable’s office were eliminated, its roles could be split between Metro Police and private process servers, Giunchigliani said.
Layer after layer of "police" protection is not only unnecessary but costly. We have Indian reservation cops, school cops, marshals, constables, Metro, NLV & Henderson cops, as well. It's getting a bit crazy with all the overlapping; each department with its own agenda and budget to protect. While I am personally a big supporter of the police, I think it's time to thin the herd and bring some coherence and fiscal sanity to the situation.
An "accidental phone call to a Sun reporter" ?? What the heck is that, someone sit on the speed dial button labeled SUN ?
I saw video of Steven Brooks being wheeled out, hiding behind an iPad, hacking, spitting.....
Who the hell is electing these "people"???
If the constables office is eliminated, then who serves subpoenas, etc.
This office looks like its run by cowboys.
The County Commission should refrain from looking like idiots, anything Brooks says lacks credibility. Look at the lack of bruises in his pictures in the RJ....This guy is mentally ill and should not hold any office!
Don't you mean the Constascandal Office?
It's extremely easy to accidentally call the last number that called your cell phone. It's hard to tell what the circumstances are, though, and the Sun didn't bother trying to identify what, exactly, was heard.
If someone from the constable's office is reading this, can you go to 1085 Palms Airport Drive and ticket the out of state cars. They are federal employees, res/non res
By italiangal
Jan. 25, 2013
11:38 a.m.
If someone from the constable's office is reading this, can you go to 1085 Palms Airport Drive and ticket the out of state cars. They are federal employees, res/non res
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I must have missed the new law that prohibits people from driving in Nevada with an out of state plate.
"The primary job of a constable's office is to enforce evictions and serve civil documents such as subpoenas, property liens, court summonses and wage garnishments. Constables officers carry guns and Tasers, but rarely take people to jail."
Our commissioners have the right idea. Bonaventura is a loose cannon without a clue what his office is really empowered to do. Saw a constable at Lowe's the other day all decked out like SWAT, and it was disgusting.
Constables are basically justice court police. Along with the many other police agencies operating in this valley -- even the district attorney has his own police force!! -- the kind of review our commissioners are discussing is way overdue.
"Fear is the foundation of most governments." - John Adams "Thoughts on Government" (1776)
Sounds like they need to DISCIPLINE the INCUMBENT. Perhaps ask for a BDR Ms. Chris if you've painted the Commission into ANOTHER CORNER.
@1sl: "I must have missed the new law that prohibits people from driving in Nevada with an out of state plate."
Only if they take up residency which is what italiangal wrote if you bothered to read her entire post.
Boss Hogg & his Barney Fifedom should cease to exist.
It's absolutely CRIMINAL what these guys do under the 'color of law'.
Go get em', Chris G and the rest of the Commission.
Agree wholeheartedly with the comments that this valley is overpopulated with Law Enforcement entities; to the point where the public has been duped on several occasions into pulling over for FAKES; it's hard to know who the 'good guys' are, nowadays!
Get rid of the Constable's office is just an overlap of duties. Let the department hand foreclosure notices and other legal administrative duties or contract the work out to a security firm.
Don't judge all constable offices on the behavior of dumb and dumbers in Bonaventures office. Most of them just do the job that they are supposed to do. That office is in real need of a wake up call and his wanna be commando deputies need to be stripped of thier badges.