Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

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Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department patch
Agency Overview
Preceding agencies
  • Las Vegas Police Department
  • Clark County Sheriff's Department
Volunteers 400
Legal personality Governmental agency
Jurisdictional Structure
General nature
  • Civilian agency
Operational Structure
Headquarters Las Vegas, Nevada
Sworn members 2,800 Police Officers
Facilities
Area Commands 7
Airbases 1
Detention Centers 1
Helicopters 7
Planes 1
Dogs 35
Horses 12
Website
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department web site
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The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (also known as the LVMPD or Metro) is the joint city-county police force for Clark County, Nevada. It is run by the sheriff, who is the Police Chief of the City of Las Vegas and the Sheriff of Clark County, elected every four years. The sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer within the county.

Metro is the largest law enforcement agency in the state of Nevada.

Contents

[edit] History

Metro was formed on July 1, 1973 by merging the City of Las Vegas Police Department with the Clark County Sheriff's Department. Metro serves the city limits of Las Vegas and the unincorporated areas of Clark County.

In 1999, an outside audit, commissioned by the City of Las Vegas and conducted by DMG-Maximus, commended the department for having fewer managers and supervisors than are normally found in large police agencies. The audit also said that the managers, both sworn and civilian, were of "excellent quality."[citation needed] The auditors found that the recruitment and selection program was "among the best we have encountered in recent years." Although the City had planned to commission a second phase of the study, DMG-Maximus auditors said they were so impressed with the department that further study was unnecessary, saving the City $180,000 that had been allocated for the audit.[citation needed]

Currently, Metro has over 5,000 members. Of these 5,000 individuals, 2,600 are police officers and 600 are corrections officers.

LVMPD currently operates on a conventional radio system, which was upgraded in 2000.

In 2006, Sergeant Henry Prendes became the first Metro officer in 18 years to be shot and killed in the line of duty. Officer Donald Weese died in the line of duty in 1989 as a result of a traffic accident, Officer Russell Peterson died in the line of duty in 1998 during a training exercise near Mount Charleston. Officer Marc Kahre was shot and killed in the line of duty in 1988.

[edit] List of Clark County Sheriffs

  • Charles Corkhill 1909-1911
  • Sam Gay, 1911-1931
    • Will Mundy, 1917 (served when Sam Gay was removed from office)
    • Jay Warren Woodard, 1917 (served when Sam Gay was removed from office)
  • Joe Keate, 1931-1936
  • Bill Mott, 1936-1937
  • Gene Ward, 1937-1943
  • Glen C. Jones, 1943-1955
  • Butch Leypoldt, 1955-1961
  • Ralph Lamb, 1961-1979
  • John McCarthy, 1979-1983
  • John Moran, 1983-1995
  • Jerry Keller, 1995-2003
  • Bill Young, 2003-2007
  • Douglas C. Gillespie, 2007-

[edit] Funding

The Department is funded by the City of Las Vegas and Clark County. Funding is based on a complex formula that includes population, calls for service, and felony crimes in the prior year. Both governments must approve the annual budget including their percentage of budget. Additionally the department itself generates approximately 33% of its funds through property tax, and the charging for certain services, such as special events, work cards, and privileged license investigations. Additional funding is generated from a special sales tax to fund commissioned positions.

[edit] Organization

Major patrol responsibilities are covered by bike patrols, motorcycle units and patrol cars assigned to the following units:

The LVMPD is divided into seven area commands:

  • Bolden (Sectors U and W) - serves the west central portion of the city, including the old westside, an area bordered by I-15, US-95, Rancho Drive and Lake Mead Boulevard.
  • Downtown (Sectors A, B and C)- this division serves Downtown Las Vegas and areas roughly east of Pecos, south of Owens and north of Sahara Avenue.
  • Northeast (Sectors F and G) - Sector F includes unincorporated areas of North Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Speedway/Nellis AFB area.
  • Northwest (Sectors V and X) - serves areas generally west of Decatur Blvd and north of Charleston Blvd.
  • Southeast (Sectors H, J and K) - serves areas east of Pecos and south of Charleston Blvd. Sector J includes unincorporated areas of Henderson.
  • Southwest (Sectors O, P, R and S)- this area serves mostly the southwest valley west of I-15 and south of Charleston Blvd.
  • South Central (Sectors I, M and N) This area command serves the Las Vegas Strip and areas south of McCarran Airport between Interstate 15 and roughly Eastern Avenue.

Other major coverage details:

  • Transportation Safety (Traffic) (All Sectors)
  • Airport (Sector Q)
  • nine different rural areas outside the Las Vegas Valley including:

[edit] Enforcement areas

Persons arrested by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department enter the criminal justice system at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas.
Persons arrested by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department enter the criminal justice system at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas.

This department provides law enforcement services for all of Clark County, including the City of Las Vegas, yielding primary jurisdiction to the following agencies:

[edit] Specialized Units

  • Air Support
  • Clark County Detention Center (commonly known as "CCDC" by officers)
  • Communications Bureau
  • Crime Stoppers - (702) 385-5555
  • Crimes Against Youth, Family Bureau
  • Criminalistics Bureau
  • DARE
  • Domestic Violence
  • Employment Diversity, Office of
  • Financial - Property Crimes Bureau
  • Fingerprint Bureau
  • Firearms Investigative Detail
  • Forgery Detail
  • Fraud Detail
  • Fugitive Detail
  • Gang Crimes Bureau
  • General Services Bureau
  • Homeland Security Bureau
  • Information Technologies Bureau
  • Internal Affairs, Office of
  • K-9 (1959)
  • Metro Volunteer Program
  • Missing Persons
  • Mounted police
  • Mobile Crime Saturation Team
  • Personnel Bureau
  • Quality Assurance, Office of
  • Records Bureau
  • Repeat Offenders Program
  • Robbery Homicide Bureau
  • Search and Rescue Unit
  • Special Events Office
  • Support Services Bureau
  • SWAT
  • Tourist Safety Unit
  • Training Bureau
  • Transportation Safety Bureau
  • Vice & Narcotics Bureau
  • Violent Crimes Detail

[edit] Structure

The LVMPD is led by a sheriff and an undersheriff, who are assisted by 3 assistant sheriffs. The Office of Intergovernmental Services, and the Office of General Counsel both report to the sheriff. The Office of Public Information and the Office of Finance report to the Undersheriff.

The Assistant Sheriff for Law Enforcement Services oversees 3 divisions, each overseen by a Deputy Chief or Director. The divisions are: The Technical Services Division (made up of the Criminalistics Bureau, Records Bureau, Fingerprint Bureau, and Logistics Bureau), The Human Resources Division (made up of the Personnel Bureau and Training Bureau), and the Communication & Technology Services Division (made up of the Communications Bureau and Information Technology Bureau).

The Assistant Sheriff for Law Enforcement Operations oversees 3 divisions, each led by a Deputy Chief. The divisions are: Detention Services Division (made up of the Records Bureau, South Tower Bureau, Central Booking Bureau, North Tower Bureau, Administrative Operations Bureau, Staff Operations Bureau, and the Low Level offender Bureau), the Central Patrol Division (made up of the Downtown Area Command, Bolden Area Command, Northeast Area Command, and the Patrol Services Bureau), and the Valley Patrol Division (made up of the Southwest Area Command, Northwest Area Command, Southeast Area Command, South Central Area Command, and the Gang Crimes Bureau).

The Assistant Sheriff for Law Enforcement Investigations oversees 3 divisions, each led by a Deputy Chief. The divisions area: The Investigative Services Division (made up of the Robbery/Homicide Bureau, The Crimes Against Youth/Family Bureau, and the Financial/Property Crimes Bureau), the Special Operations Division (made up of the Support Services Bureau, Vice & Narcotics Bureau, and the Traffic Bureau), and the Homeland Security Division (made up of the Homeland Security Bureau, the Airport Bureau, and the Organized Crime Bureau).

[edit] Training

LVMPD runs their own training academy, which is located next to the Northwest Area Command. All new recruits are required to attend the 24 week academy. This includes those who have attended another police academy.

LVMPD runs a separate academy for corrections officers. This academy is located inside the Clark County Detention Center (CCDC)

Emergency Vehicle Operations course takes place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Firearms Training takes place at the John T Moran Tactical Firearms Training Facility located near Nellis Air Force Base.

[edit] Las Vegas Police in fiction

[edit] External links

[edit] References

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