New sheriff: Budget is first item on agenda

By Ana Ley

Sunday, Nov. 16, 2014 | 2 a.m.

Las Vegas’ newly elected sheriff would rather sit alone in his office poring over budgets and trade publications than give celebratory speeches or media interviews.

Metro Police Assistant Sheriff Joe Lombardo — the policy wonk who defeated union favorite Larry Burns with 51 percent of the vote — was back at work early the morning after his victory. Lombardo carried on as usual, meeting with Sheriff Doug Gillespie, then boarding a plane to Chicago for a police conference.

Lombardo won’t inherit Gillespie’s seat for another two months but already is mapping out plans.

How do you view the role of sheriff?

I think the sheriff has three jobs. There’s crime-fighting, budgeting and planning. Budgeting is a big component of that.

Crime-fighting is a given. He’s the head law enforcement officer.

What’s first on your to-do list when you become sheriff in January?

The first thing on the agenda is the budget. We have a structural deficit in our current budget. We have to ensure that the city and the county are funding us at the appropriate level so we don’t have to lay off police officers.

This has nothing to do with the More Cops tax initiative (a controversial proposed sales tax to fund law enforcement). This is just our general funding budget that we submit every fiscal year. We have to increase the funding provided by the city and the county. That’s my first priority.

In what ways will you be looking at spending Metro’s dollars more efficiently?

That’s a campaigning and pandering thing to say we’re going to look at how every dollar is being spent. We’ve been doing that the past four years under Sheriff Gillespie. We do that on a continual weekly and monthly basis. That’s why I don’t want to say I’m going to do that on day one.

You can talk about eliminating a position here and there, but what’s the total amount of that position — $100,000? We’re talking about a $32 million deficit. We’re not talking about one or two positions.

Are you apprehensive about dealing with the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, which endorsed your opponent and has butted heads with Metro management in the past?

We’re all professionals, and infighting among everybody in the police department is of a lesser concern than public safety. My feeling is we’re going to get along fine.

(LVPPA Executive Director Chris Collins said the union wouldn’t hold a grudge against Lombardo.)

Do you have a postelection break planned?

I’m on the way to Chicago for a work conference, so no vacation yet. I sure do need some rest, though.

I’ll take a vacation as part of normal practice, just like anyone else takes a vacation. It has been a long, long year.​

Answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.