Quantcast
MobileRJ | RSS TwitterTwitter FacebookFacebook E-mail Alerts
Home manage Las Vegas Review-Journal
  Jobs Cars Homes Shopping Travel Weddings Golf Best of Las Vegas Photo   Search:

RECENT EDITIONS
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

sponsored by
News
Feb. 13, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Sheriff might seek sales tax hike

Growth spurs need for officers, Gillespie says

By BRIAN HAYNES
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Female inmates lie on cots in a common area at the Clark County Detention Center because of overcrowding at the downtown Las Vegas jail. Sheriff Doug Gillespie is considering renting the soon-to-be closed prison in Jean to house some of his inmates.
Photo by Sara Tramiel/Review-Journal

Faced with policing an ever-expanding metropolis, Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie is eyeing changes on two fronts to tackle growth both inside county borders and the county jail.

The sheriff said Tuesday there is a "strong possibility" he will head to Carson City next year and ask the Legislature to approve an additional quarter-cent sales tax to hire more police officers.

Most Popular Stories
  • Three suspects arrested in shooting death of police officer
  • Three suspects arrested in shooting death of police officer
  • FATAL SHOOTING: Police again mourn comrade
  • NORM: Biden finds rank has its privileges
  • Corrections officer dies in collision on U.S. 95
  • Two suspects in officer's slaying could face death penalty
  • Two of three suspects in slaying of officer could face death penalty
  • NORM: Walton: Coach deserved a punch
  • DEADLY HOME INVASION: Police suspect link to family
  • Station Casinos posts $455 million third-quarter loss
  • NORM: 'Girls Gone Wild' creator feels heat




    • The message has changed from a year ago, when the sheriff said the additional tax might not be needed so soon. But sales tax revenue has fallen with the sluggish economy and would not support enough new officers to keep up with growth, he said.

    Gillespie credited the more than 250 officers hired under the first phase of the More Cops initiative, which raised the sales tax by a quarter cent, with helping to cut the overall crime rate last year, including drops in homicides, robberies, rapes and traffic deaths. The second phase of the tax will be needed by 2010 to hire enough officers to maintain the crime-fighting successes amid the county's population boom, he said.

    "We're making progress," Gillespie said.

    He will have an ally in Henderson police Chief Richard Perkins, a former state Assembly speaker, who said he "absolutely" would support the sales tax increase.

    With nearly 100 new officers hired under the new tax the past two years, the Henderson Police Department has cut response times and freed officers to spend more time interacting with residents in neighborhoods, he said.

    Gillespie said he thinks they will be able to make their case, pointing to the county's growing population and the crime-fighting successes of the first wave of new officers hired under the tax.

    But the darkening economic climate could loom over any new tax talk, said Assemblyman Joe Hardy, R-Boulder City, one of 12 state lawmakers to vote against the measure in 2005.

    With state budget cutbacks and the housing slump on their minds, Democrats and Republicans alike might be wary of raising taxes of any kind, even those approved by voters, he said.

    "I think he's got an uphill battle," Hardy said.

    Then-Clark County Sheriff Bill Young led the push for the More Cops advisory question in 2004 and said it was imperative to hire enough new officers to keep up with growth. County voters narrowly approved the question, which called for two quarter-cent increases in the sales tax to pay for an estimated 1,700 new officers among the five police departments in the county.

    State lawmakers approved the measure but required local officials to return to Carson City and justify the second phase of the increase, which would add $2.50 to the price of a $1,000 big-screen television and $50 to a $20,000 car.

    "I think he can make his case," Hardy said. "I think the key for him will be accountability. What did we get with it? What did he do with it?"

    The Metropolitan Police Department, which polices Las Vegas and unincorporated Clark County, has hired 286 officers with the new tax money and hopes to add a total of 450 by October.

    Henderson has hired 98 officers. Figures for North Las Vegas were unavailable.

    Gillespie said his department plans to hire 600 officers by mid-2009. The first phase of the sales tax will not support more officers, and the second phase would be necessary to continue the hiring pace in early 2010, he said.

    He said he is confident he can make his case, especially because voters approved it.

    Carole Vilardo, president of the Nevada Taxpayers Association, echoed that thought.

    "I prefer we don't keep raising the sales tax," she said. "But it is what it is, and the voters approved it."

    Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, who supported the increase as an assemblywoman in 2005, said officials at the state and local level must address the consequences of putting more police on the streets.

    More police means more arrests, which means more pressure on courts, jails and the rest of the criminal justice system, she said.

    "Do we need more police? Absolutely. But do we need to look at the infrastructure to support them? Yes," she said.

    When it comes to jail beds, Gillespie is looking for alternatives. His representatives have been in preliminary talks with state Department of Corrections officials about renting the 600-bed prison in Jean, which is slated to close by summer because of state budget cuts.

    "As soon as I heard that would be vacated, I jumped on it," said Gillespie, who learned about the closing in mid-January.

    For years, the Clark County Detention Center has been in a state of perpetual overcrowding. The jail in downtown Las Vegas regularly holds 100 to 400 more inmates than its 2,957-bed capacity, forcing the extra inmates to sleep on cots in common areas.

    "We've got some room to breathe, but we expect that bubble to burst," Deputy Chief Leroy Kirkegard said.

    A county-run, low-level offender jail will not open until late 2009 or early 2010, and Gillespie sees the Jean prison as a short-term solution to bridge that gap. It could provide a long-term solution, as well, at least until the state needs the space back, he said.

    Prison officials expect that date to come in 2014, Department of Corrections Director Howard Skolnik said.

    Kirkegard and other Metropolitan Police Department officials have toured the Jean site twice and were discussing details such as transportation requirements. They have until July to work out an agreement.

    That is when the Department of Corrections expects the roughly 600 prisoners, a mix of teens, men and women, to be moved to other prisons, Skolnik said.

    The state could fetch more money if it rented the space to California, but officials decided it was best to help someone in their own backyard, he said.

    "We're taking care of someone in our own state," Skolnik said. "It's good for the state. It's good for the county. It's good for the taxpayers. Everybody wins."

    Contact reporter Brian Haynes at bhaynes@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0281.

    Newsvine Digg Fark Technorati reddit StumbleUpon del.icio.us Slashdot Propeller Mixx Furl Twitter MySpace Facebook Google Bookmarks Yahoo! Bookmarks Windows Live Favorites Ask MyStuff myAOL Favorites

    Leave Your Comment 62 Reader Comments
    Terms & Conditions
    The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsiblity of the authors. The reviewjournal.com does not review comments before publication nor guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by the comment policy. If you see a comment that violates the policy, please notify the web editor.

    Some comments may not display immediately due to an automatic filter. These comments will be reviewed within 48 hours. Please do not submit a comment more than once.
    Current Word Count:

    Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background.

    ogspot wrote on February 14, 2008 12:48 AM: The cops want another payraise. Since when does the "head" of any department unilaterally decide to "seek" a sales tax increase? I guess the heads of all county departments can "seek" a sales tax hike for payraises? The very idea that a public employee can spearhead a tax increase for the benefit of his own kingdom is reprehensible.


    David Johann wrote on February 13, 2008 09:19 PM: Who has editorial control over what comments get posted here? Why did my post not appear?

    Brian Haynes?

    Brian, don't cross Sherman or the sensibilities of the Arkansas sophisticates you work for.

    Could be hazardous to your career.

    Is that why my post won't post here?

    Love,

    David Johann


    David Johann wrote on February 13, 2008 08:56 PM: All bureaucrats always want more power--more money for their departments. So naturally, the Sheriff, consistent with the all-too-human motivations of all top bureaucrats, wants more money. Gillespie wants more money on top of the more money Metro recently received due to our last sales tax increase (placed upon you and me).

    Why was the last sales tax increase (that all went to Metro) even necessary?

    If you have more people arriving here, buying more stuff including cars, houses, and cocktails, all of which have sales taxes attached to their cost, then shouldn't the sales tax base increase naturally in proportion to the new residents who need to be policed?

    Huh???? Huh???? More people means more sales tax (at the current rate) to the coffers, right? RIGHT???

    So why increase the sales tax AGAIN?

    Perhaps the answer is Gillespie's ego. Everything in Metro needs to be shinier and newer, especially his desk and office.


    ron wrote on February 13, 2008 07:38 PM: Metro needs to cut their bloated salaries instead of whining to the taxpayers again. They already make the highest salaries in the country for police officers, and their benefit package is so generous that they typically can retire after 25 years services. Last time the raised the sales tax, the first thing that happended was they gave themselves A PAY RAISE!! Don't be so naive... the same thing will probably happen again. Sad to say, but it is up to individuals and communites to stop crime. Police can help, but they usually show up well after crimes are committed. Their stats are deceptive... crime rates are dropping throughout the country... however, our auto theft rate is highest in the country!! why didn't they mention this??


    Jim H. wrote on February 13, 2008 06:17 PM: I don't fear the police because I believe and support them. I'll gladly pay to support police officers who would lay down their life for me. I don't want to pay for the cradle to grave tax bum.


    Tambora wrote on February 13, 2008 06:17 PM: Follow up to Janets question..You better get used to the Hispanic problem. Go UMC Medical center on the weekends, look in the schools.( I bet there is over 200,ooo illegals in Clark County). All being paid for my US tax paying Citizens. The middle class is getting shoved right down the drain. Welcome to the New USA. Not sure why it took so long for the locals to wake up, but I hate to tell ya, its way too late. More taxs, thats all these Elected officals know what to say.


    tim wrote on February 13, 2008 05:32 PM: last time i checked the sheriff is not a legislator or elected to any commission, if he wants more money he should take it up with the proper officials. funny how he said i have a ally in the henderson chief, double dipping chief that is. you know the one who flouts the state constitution. this is a perfect example of why the law was enacted. so now chief asks his buddy the other chief for more money and useing his clout with the assembly pushes his buddys request. if that dont stink nothing does.


    Janet wrote on February 13, 2008 04:55 PM: How much money is being spent to provide translators for the "ILLEGALS"?

    How much money is being spent on printing forms in every language under the sun for "ILLEGALS"?

    The biggest question, How much is spent providing free medical to "ILLEGALS"?


    Fed up with it wrote on February 13, 2008 04:43 PM: MDgirl wrote on February 13, 2008 12:32 PM: I saw one older man --at least 80 plus--standing outside his car which was surrounded by 6 police vehicles. Obviously 5 cars had nothing else to do.:

    No they where the translators, just in case they where needed.

    After all, we are in the United States where WE have to learn other languages because WE have to be considerate to the "ILLEGALS", I mean WE cannot expect them to learn OUR LANGUAGE after they done all that hard work of walking across the boarder.

    It is funny, Mexico is all up in arms because WE want to secure our boarder with them. What do they want? They want US TO GIVE THEM $1.4 BILLION TO CLOSE DOWN THEIR SOTHERN BOARDER, AND LIKE IDIOTS WASHINGTON IS GIVING IT TO THEM, BUT LEAVING OURS WIDE OPEN!!!!!

    WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!


    Ernest Worrell wrote on February 13, 2008 04:02 PM: If you want to raise our taxes again, it might behoove you to tell the 25 officers that are on TV at some crime scene, not to stand around, playing pocket pool, while laughing.


    Read All Comments