As we wrap up the very uncertain and crazy year that was 2021, I’d like to cover some key takeaways. Throughout the year, from the president of the United States and the federal government to our governor and elected officials in Carson City, political mandates and leadership have left many feeling uncertainty. Dealing with COVID-19 and the unknown as it relates to the virus, vaccines, deaths, lockdowns and everything else that has come with it has taken a toll on all of us. Now that cities and venues are opening back up, please ensure that you take some time to relax, take a vacation, go for a nice dinner, spend time with your family and decompress. We all need a break from time to time, so please take some time for yourself.

Officers across the country still are coming under attack from violent suspects. Violent crime across the country is rising and criminals are thriving. At the time of writing this article, there have been 349 officers killed in the line of duty this year. Per the Officer Down Memorial Page, 224 officers have lost their lives to COVID-19. I am sure the true number may be even higher, due to officer deaths from COVID-19 that may not be covered by their agencies as line-of-duty deaths. Unfortunately, we have experienced this recently in the loss of several officers with LVMPD. Any loss of life is tragic, and that families are grieving and denied benefits due to COVID-19 is absurd.

Communication is key, and knowledge is power. We have several ways in which we communicate with the membership. Please, if you are not receiving our emails, call the office and ensure that we have the proper contact information for you, as well as beneficiary information. There are two different email accounts that we use. The first is for deals, offers from local companies offering LVPPA membership exclusive discounts, tickets and other giveaways, and events. The second email account is for general information, legal updates and videos. All of our videos are available on our YouTube page, LVPPA.com and davidroger.us. We are also always available 24/7 by phone. If you have a question, hear a rumor or need anything at all, please call or text us.

If you are involved in a critical event or an in-custody death, please call any one of the Executive Board members.

If you are involved in a critical event or an in-custody death in the field or at CCDC, once it is safe to do so, please call any one of the Executive Board members. It is our goal to respond as quickly as possible and be there to provide you with legal and administrative guidance and support. Once you have given your mandated Public Safety Statement and a monitoring officer is assigned to you, please do not discuss the event with anyone except your attorney and PPA representatives. It is absolutely OK to call your loved ones, but again, refrain from discussing details of the event. If you are working and there is a critical event, text or call any of us and advise us of the event and location. Members of your chain of command and executive staff will respond. FIT (which handles the criminal investigation into an OIS), CIRT (which handles the administrative investigation into an OIS) and now members of the Attorney General’s Office will be on scene conducting their investigations.

Body-worn cameras have been extremely valuable in defending officers’ actions and clearing allegations of misconduct. Please ensure that you know and are abiding by LVMPD’s policy regarding activation and deactivation. In any event, but even more so in a critical event, the BWC footage is crucial in helping to paint a clear picture of what occurred. In a day and age where Nevada and federal elected officials are critical on every issue relating to policing, unfortunately your word alone is not good enough. Let your BWC video and statements tell your truth.

By now, many of you have received your Department cellphones. Please remember that there is zero expectation of privacy with your phone. Utilize your work phone only for work-related purposes. Avoid chat groups between squadmates, unless they are strictly work-related conversations. Store your work phone in your locker after your shift and on your weekend. Again, remember, this phone belongs to LVMPD, so you have no expectation of privacy, and LVMPD can search your phone’s contents at any time.

Thank you for your membership, be safe and have each other’s backs, and make it home after every shift. If at any time you need us, we are a call away to assist you.