As your PPA representatives, we attend several hundred IAB interviews a year. Prior to all interviews, you should have a conversation with your representative about the case. At this pre-interview meeting, your rep should discuss with you some of the things that will occur during the interview. The rep should tell you about your rights as a peace officer and explain how the interview questioning should go. A subject officer is different from a witness officer. As a witness officer, everything being asked of you will be based around the accusation against the subject officer. No questions should be asked of you that would lend to you making statements about yourself that could result in you being a subject. As a subject officer, you are the one whom the investigation is focusing on. This case is either going to end with you being sustained or not sustained. If sustained, you will receive some form of discipline. As a subject officer, it is very important to have the pre-interview meeting with your rep. You need to understand your rights as a peace officer as well as understand how the interview is supposed to go. You should not be asked questions that are outside the scope of the notice.

We at the PPA have seen an alarming new trend with the Internal Affairs section. More and more, the investigators are asking officers “opinion” questions. First and foremost, we have a huge issue with this type of questioning. Detectives and supervisors in IA are trying to use witness officers to cement their case by asking questions like, “In your opinion, would you have done this?” or “If you were in this officer’s position, would you have used that same tactic?” What this in turn does is puts you, the witness officer, on the front page of their summary, alluding to the fact that you would not have done what this officer did — and then they use that to sustain your fellow officer. It puts you in a position, if and when the subject officer grieves the case, where you basically sustained them for the IA team with your “opinion.”

It becomes even worse for the subject officer. I have personally sat in an interview where the subject officer was asked, “Do you think your actions were appropriate?” Other reps have had similar questioning to include, “Do you feel you lived up to the ICARE values?” or “Were your actions conduct unbecoming of an officer?” As this style of questioning has happened more and more, I don’t even know why they have a standard interview anymore. Why doesn’t IA just start the tape, give their preliminary statements and ask the following: “Should you be sustained for ______ ?” (Input whatever section of the matrix you like.) That is basically what they are doing with their current line of questioning; I don’t know where this type of questioning came from. Maybe it’s just easier for the IA team to do their sustainment because they got you to admit on the record that you did indeed violate a Department policy. First and foremost, every notice for a subject officer includes the specific allegation being investigated. It also says, “You will be questioned about your knowledge, actions and conversations related to the above-listed allegation.” Nowhere does it say, “You will be questioned about your opinions, beliefs and moral position of the above-listed allegations.”

I referenced “moral position” above. That’s also a problem we are seeing. When there was no policy, SOP or law you violated, IA starts to turn into the morality police and will sustain you for how they “feel” about what occurred. No fact basis, other than asking other witnesses, “Would you have done this?” or your own statement to the question, “While you violated no specific policy, do you think you should have done this?” This is another disturbing issue with how interviews are being done in IA.

Because of NRS 289, IA has rules that they are supposed to follow. It is the nature of the beast in regard to an interview of a police officer. IA should be asking specific, fact-based questions in their interviews and then putting all of the facts together — not opinions — and then either sustaining or not sustaining an officer, not asking you those opinion questions when they see that their investigation hasn’t yielded much. It is for these reasons that you must meet with your rep before an interview, whether you’re a subject or a witness. Ultimately, no matter what is asked of you, or how much your rep objects to a line of questioning, if ordered to do so during the interview, you must answer. It is our job to fight those issues for you later on in the process. However, if you prepare before the interview, you will be better suited to respond to questions. Not preparing for an IA interview is like taking an oral board and doing no studying and then expecting to rank No. 1 on the board. It just won’t happen.

The first step in knowing what is going to happen in your interview is to know who is doing your interview. There are teams in IA that ask these opinion questions, and there are some teams that stick to just the factual questions of the allegations at hand and don’t veer off the notice. Either way, you need to prepare and prepare correctly. Your rep will help prep you for possible questions they feel may be asked of you. Talk to your rep, understand the process and get ready for your interview.

I would like my article to focus on the officers whom we lost nationwide this past year. This list is far too long. It encompasses all 2016 line-of-duty deaths through December 8, and unfortunately, even more will probably have occurred by the time you read it. Please review and remember our brothers and sisters who made the ultimate sacrifice. They will be forever missed, but never forgotten. May all of them rest in peace.

Let us pray that the list next year is nowhere near this size. I have great hope for law enforcement after President Trump won the election. His stance on fighting crime and his love for law enforcement are well known and well publicized. I hope and pray he puts the power back into the hands of law enforcement and allows them to protect and serve as they should.

2016 Line-of-Duty Deaths

With the holiday season fast approaching, I wanted to say thank you to all of the members of the LVPPA for your continued support of our organization. Since taking over as president in August, we have done several things to benefit our membership. One of the key issues for us was to change the Bylaws so that we could freeze or reduce the members’ dues. As the Bylaws stand, membership dues are based on 1.5% of a step 4 police officer’s pay. Being that the number was a constant percentage, every time we received any pay raise, your dues had to increase, which cut into your actual pay raise. We took the necessary steps to get the Bylaws changed to allow us, with the Board of Directors’ approval, the ability to freeze or lower the actual dues. This does not eliminate the 1.5%, it just allows us to reduce or freeze the current dues. During the October 6 Board of Directors meeting, I asked the Board for a freeze of the dues just prior to the pay increase from the current contract. The Board overwhelmingly approved the dues freeze. After asking for the freeze, Scott Nicholas assembled the Bylaw Committee to explore the lowering of our PPA dues in the future.

We also came into contact with a wonderful business, C-Note Suit. C-Note Suit specializes in custom-tailored suits for law enforcement officers and military members. We scheduled a day for our PPA members to come to the PPA office and purchase, or just get information on purchasing, suits. We had over 30 members come that day, and many of the members purchased multiple suits. In the days after our event, several other officers went to C-Note Suit and made purchases. The price C-Note Suit charged our officers was not a onetime deal. Because they support the law enforcement community, this pricing continues year-round. I am grateful for having established this relationship with them and appreciate the great lengths they go to so our members are satisfied.

The PPA also hosted a night out at the UNLV Rebels football game. For our first event like this, I feel it was a huge success. We had around 300-plus people attend the tailgate and game. The food that was provided and the atmosphere surrounding the tailgate was top-notch. A big thank-you to 911 Tacos. After the tailgate, we all went in and supported our Rebels football team and watched them get a big win. It is nice for us to support our local football team. It was an awesome sight to see an entire section of the stadium dedicated to us where we could all have a good time. I also won a $4 bet from a member in the Traffic Bureau who supported Fresno State. Even though he left early, I will still be collecting my money, BP! We plan on making this an annual outing for our members, as well as scheduling one or two basketball games for our members to attend.

Our second annual Trunk-or-Treat also turned out to be a huge success. Providing a fun atmosphere, not only for our members, but also their families, is something the PPA will continue to strive for in the future. Our Santa Day is fast approaching as well, and hope our turnout for that event is even greater than last year.

The goal of the PPA is, and always will be, to provide its members with the best internal and legal representation that we can. We have not lost sight of that and will continue to fight to make your working conditions better. As we build the proper bridges with executive staff, we are inching closer to a positive working relationship, which is allowing us to work out several different issues before they get out of hand. If we can work out some of the issues we face day to day in a positive way, we can turn the tide of the low morale and make coming to work enjoyable again. I think with happy troops, great results will follow.

Being a police officer is one of the toughest professions in the world. We only show up to meet people in the worst of situations. We work constantly in the face of adversity, and yet we show up every day with a professional attitude and a true concern for the safety and well-being of the citizens of Las Vegas. There is a ton of negative publicity about us in the media on a daily basis. But please, do not let the silent majority sway your opinion of what we do. The silent majority of citizens are behind us 100%. They don’t feel the need to boast about the positive interactions with the police in the media. They don’t feel they need to hold a rally to show support for you. They sit at home, safe and protected, because they know the professional men and women of law enforcement in Las Vegas are watching over them. Please know that there is more support for you than it appears.

I want to thank you all again for your support and commitment to the citizens of Las Vegas and to the LVPPA. Have a safe and happy holiday season. And for those who will be keeping the citizens safe during Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year, please be safe.

If you are reading this article, then it means that I have undertaken the responsibility of being your newest executive director for the LVPPA. Before I get into the article, I need to say thank you to a lot of people who supported me through this process. I want to thank Scott Nicholas, your newly appointed assistant executive director. Scott, your friendship and commitment to our campaign are greatly appreciated. Our membership could not ask for a better assistant executive director. I also want to thank Bryan Yant. Bryan has been there every step of the way during the campaign, helping with flyers and other issues that came up. Thank you to my brother Brian Grammas. Your constant support for me, being your little brother, and always being my sounding board for things has helped in ways that I can never express. Thanks also go out to my fellow Executive Board members Tyler Todd, Michael Ramirez and Thomas Reid. I want to thank those members of the Board of Directors who put their trust and confidence in me to lead this great organization. A thank-you also goes out to all my friends and co-workers who helped push the message out for me and helped get me to this point. The list of names is too long for me to mention all of them, but you all know who you are and I thank you for being there for me. Lastly, to my wife, Tiffany, and my girls, Madison, Annabelle, Sophia and Olivia: You five have put up with constant phone calls, texts, emails and meetings during this process. You know it is only going to get busier, but you support me anyway. Tiffany, I love you and thank you for helping me with every day-to-day issue I bring home. You are a remarkable woman, a great mother and my best friend.

With the acknowledgments out of the way, let’s talk about what to expect during my first term as executive director. My first order of business is to start an annual LVPPA college scholarship for one member’s child who is graduating from high school and attending college. I will ask for approval of $5,000 for the scholarship from the Board of Directors. I will continue to fight to always increase your pay and benefits in every contract negotiation. I will remain extremely active with our membership. The days of not seeing your executive director at 2 a.m. on your critical incident are over. I will be going to callouts, I will be attending your IAB cases and I will be there with you during the Use of Force process, including your FIT or CIRT interview as well as your Use of Force Review Board (UOFRB). I am going to demand absolute top-quality service from the Executive Board members. Coming from a busy unit like Narcotics, I know what it’s like to work hard and will demand that the Executive Board do the same. After the recent murders of our law enforcement family members across the country, I plan on working to enact legislation that will mirror other states, treating any crime against an officer as a hate crime and providing the proper enhancement charge to the applicable crime itself. Mike Ramirez will be spearheading our advocacy in Carson City for this issue, as well as fighting for your rights during the coming legislative session. We will remain highly active in the political world as we move forward, as well.

I also believe that our PPA can and will be doing more for the members. On top of our Trunk-or-Treat and Santa Claus days, I would like to see us take a more active role in membership and do more events or activities specifically for the members and their families. These events will not take away from our everyday workload but will require more of the Executive Board’s free time. If anyone has any ideas for events, please call the office and pass the information along.

I hope to build a better working relationship between the LVMPD and the LVPPA. I believe that the relationships we once had, which led to a productive working environment, have been strained. The problem with this is that it affects our members, whether it be their contract, discipline or morale. I think I possess the type of personality to mend those relationships and help provide our members with a much better working environment than they have had in the past.

Lastly, I want everyone to know that I am a cop, just like everyone else. I am no better than anyone just because of the title of the position I hold. I take the position very seriously, but not to the point of being full of myself. I am a regular, down-to-earth, funny, joking cop who can relate to any and all people in law enforcement. I love what I do and I love my brothers and sisters who wear the badge, from the police and corrections officers of the LVMPD to the deputy city marshals and municipal court marshals. There will never come a day when I lose sight of who I am and why I chose this position. I will give everything I have to make your working lives better. I live by the saying “Leave this place better than when you started.” That will be my ultimate goal for these next several years. Thank you all for allowing me to be your executive director, and I look forward to working with everyone in the future. My phone is on 24/7 for anyone who needs me.

The attractive woman has an uneasy feeling about this evening. She has just had the police serve a temporary protective order (TPO) on her abusive husband, whom she believes now lives not too far away from her home. The same qualities that attracted her to him — rough, muscular, large-framed and boisterous — are now the downfall of their relationship. She is tired of making excuses for her bruises and cannot tolerate another beating.

She hears a car door shut outside while she relaxes safely inside her modest home in a not-so-nice neighborhood. Her dog is alerted by something and has now started to bark. The woman peers out from behind her window shade and thinks she sees a glimpse of her soon-to-be-ex-husband walking around to the back of her home. Her heart begins to pound and she panics. She reaches for her phone and walks toward the back of her home, again peering out from the kitchen window. She now sees what she most feared — her ex-husband, who appears to be high or drunk, wielding a knife and shouting her name. She frantically dials 9-1-1, and before she has a chance to speak to the 9-1-1 operator, she hears the rear sliding-glass door shatter. He is coming in, and he is in a fit of rage!

The woman flees the kitchen and runs for her bedroom as the suspect is entering her home, yelling that he is going to kill her right after he rapes her. The 9-1-1 operator hears this from the other end of the phone line and immediately creates a priority-zero call, which will be given to the dispatcher to immediately assign to any available patrol unit(s).

“3 Paul 2 B en route to a violent 417,” blares over the radio right after an alert tone gets the attention of everyone on the patrol radio channel. The 9-1-1 operator is feverishly trying to get more details from the woman when suddenly all she can hear is, “No, don’t! Please don’t! I’m sorry. Please … don’t! Leave me alone!” This new information is relayed to the responding patrol unit, who is now himself getting very anxious. He switches on his Code 3 emergency equipment, thinking he may be responding alone to handle this call, because no other units have been assigned and he knows that they are working short once again tonight.

This patrol cop doesn’t panic. He has handled violent calls alone before, as this has become the norm since graduating field training. The last update the 9-1-1 operator has is a sound of a woman screaming, which has now quieted to a faint whimper. With this new information, the patrol officer drives a little faster, keeping in mind that if he violates policy regarding maximum speed or he wrecks, he will be solely responsible and punished accordingly.

The 9-1-1 operator updates the call to reflect that the phone line has been disconnected and there is no answer upon recall. The responding officer is now arriving in the area and requests that the dispatcher please find him some backup as soon as possible. The dispatcher responds, “I’m working on getting you another unit, let me check the other channels.” The valley has become so violent and they are so critically short on police officers for a myriad of reasons that this officer must now be forced to make some split-second decisions that will impact not only his life, but the lives of citizens he is sworn to aid and protect.

As this cop exits his car, he slips on a pair of trusty old gloves in preparation for a violent encounter that seems inevitable now. He spots the suspect’s truck parked in front of the woman’s home and peers inside to make sure no one is hiding inside. As the officer hustles a little closer to the home, he hears a man’s voice yelling, “You made me do this, bitch!” He is able to peek inside the home from a front window, and it appears the home has been ransacked. With a Code Red on the radio channel and a backup officer finally on the way (yet still quite a distance away), this cop decides it is time to take action and tries the front door handle.

The door is unlocked, and he radios the dispatcher that he is about to enter the residence because he believes the woman’s life is at stake. His backup unit hears this radio traffic and wishes he could make his patrol car fly as he puts his driving skills to the ultimate test to get on-scene as fast as possible to assist his fellow officer. The air unit is not available due to maintenance and the area supervisor is busy and off the air, conducting a taped interview concerning an unrelated “statement of complaint” regarding an officer accused of being discourteous.

The cop on-scene pushes the door open, heads for the staircase, and slowly and methodically walks up the stairs toward what he thinks is the bedroom. The house is partially lit and he is unfamiliar with the layout. Suddenly, the cop hears glass breaking from the bedroom he’s heading toward. As he approaches the room, he sees a male suspect crawling out the window, holding a handgun in his right hand. The officer gives warning to the suspect to “Stop!” but instead the suspect fires one round at the officer, luckily missing him. The officer returns fire, striking him, but the suspect is able to slip out the window and does not stop.

The room has blood spatter all over the bed and walls. The suspect has stabbed the woman multiple times, but she is still breathing. The officer radios in a “444, shots fired” situation regarding the crime committed against the woman, her status and need for immediate medical attention, as well as the suspect’s physical description, his attempt to murder the officer and last known direction of travel. The backup officer has now arrived, a canine unit is en route, and the watch commander is working on setting up a perimeter. The woman’s injuries appear to not be fatal, so the officer joins his backup at the front door, and they sweep the house for any additional suspects. Just as they are completing this task, paramedics arrive and are led to the victim. A neighbor comes running over toward the victim’s home and is intercepted by the primary officer on-scene. “There is someone in my shed and a blood trail leading toward it, too,” the neighbor shouts.

The officers make a tactical approach toward the shed as they send the neighbor away from the scene for safety. As soon as the shed is “challenged,” a male suspect bolts toward the back wall. The two officers are quick to respond and take him into custody before he scales the wall. They find him bleeding, clearly intoxicated, and with a .38-caliber handgun in his pocket. By this time, several other units have arrived and a slew of supervisors are on-scene or en route. A Force Investigation Team and a Critical Incident Review Team have been dispatched. The LVPPA has been notified and a team of representatives (including an attorney) are on the way to ensure that all officers involved are afforded their due process regarding the criminal, as well as administrative, investigation, and to ensure that each officer is treated with dignity and respect.

For a brief moment, before the parade of brass, supervisors, investigators, crime scene analysts and the like arrive, these two cops visually scan each other, take a big sigh of relief and ask each other, “You OK, Bro?” They are a bit in awe of what just happened, but they know they belong to a brotherhood of warriors who are the best of the best, and they have lived to see another day.

This story is fictitious, but obviously represents any given day in the police world. Our lives go from static to dynamic in a split second, and we don’t dictate suspects’ actions, only our own. We are questioned, scrutinized and second-guessed at every moment during a critical incident review. Our tactics are dissected and picked apart like a turkey on Thanksgiving Day. The violence and abuse we are subjected to by the bad apples in our society can be overwhelming.

The LVPPA is dedicated to protecting you, advocating for you, ensuring that you are afforded due process, negotiating for you and sometimes even litigating on your behalf. From the national level right down to local management of our Department, it appears as if we, the people, are under fire. We continue to carry your message to whomever needs to hear it. We diligently work with local and state entities to fend off the wolves who wish to strip you of your rights, benefits and pensions. It’s pretty clear that the battle will continue. Thank you for your continued commitment and support of the LVPPA. Together, we’ve got this.

As always, be safe! 

Memorial Day has a long and rich history dating back to the mid-1800s. The United States government sanctioned Memorial Day as an official holiday in 1971, to be recognized on the last Monday of every May. Traditionally, this holiday was created to honor those who were serving in the military and died during wars and armed conflicts. More recently, that tradition has evolved into remembering all those who have left us behind and have moved on toward the greater spaces of Heaven.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation that designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week. National Police Week has grown into a large event where thousands upon thousands of people make their way to Washington, D.C., to pay homage to all law enforcement professionals who have lost their lives in the line of duty. I have made that trip several times, and every police officer should do it at least once in their career to have a full understanding of the respect, love, compassion and caring offered by not only your brothers and sisters in uniform, but also the public in general.

We, as law enforcement professionals, know all too well that the profession we have chosen is a dangerous and grueling one. Each year we lose so many of our colleagues to murder, accidents and suicides. The numbers are staggering. We grieve our losses, we get counseling, we seek refuge within our religion and we close ranks, holding our family closer than ever before. It’s what we do and it’s how we cope. Life must go on.

Each of us has likely already lost a family member, a partner, a friend or another significant person sometime in our life. Sadly, I’m finding that the older I get, the more likely that seems to occur.

So why do we have Memorial Day and Police Week? We are the living, and those who have passed before us would want us to celebrate their lives. Yes, it’s important to remember and honor them, but it’s just as important to live life to the fullest, just as those before us would have wanted us to do.

I choose to allow all the people I knew who have passed and who I’ve loved, befriended or admired in my lifetime to live forever within me. From time to time, my mind will wander and I will remember a particularly funny event we shared or a moment of wisdom that person bestowed upon me. I choose to honor the living moments I had with each of these people and keep their spirit alive and well, therefore ensuring that their life and ultimate death was not in vain.

My own father passed away before my children were able to know him, experience him and create memories with him. I took all those great memories, idiosyncrasies and values I was able to experience with my dad and made them come alive so my children could benefit from who my father was and all he had to offer me, my family and everyone he was able to touch. My father doesn’t have to be with us here on earth for my children to understand what kind of man he was and what he stood for. Since he is no longer alive, it’s my responsibility to ensure that they know as much about him as I can teach them.

This May, I ask all of you to take some time to remember those people special to you who have passed, and honor them as they deserve. Even more importantly, I ask you to ensure that whatever it was about them that you cherished, loved, honored and appreciated is passed on to others. Allow others to know what you know about that person, share funny stories and pass on the wonderful ideas your loved one expressed to you. We can learn a lot from those who came before us and are no longer with us. The learning process begins with you.

I, like so many I know, have lost too many friends and colleagues serving our communities for the greater good. They are remembered for the honorable lives they led and for the goodness in their hearts and minds. May the spirit of each of them touch your soul, so that you are a better person because of the lives they led and the good deeds they did.

As always, be safe!

The dispatcher’s voice crackles over the radio and places you and another marked unit on a “shots fired” call, and suddenly your heart starts beating at double the pace as you grab your microphone, acknowledge the call and flip a U-turn to head toward the call. You and your partner arrive, and you exit your car to take up a good spot that provides you cover and concealment. Your partner is stacked behind you as you assess the situation and determine if it’s better for you to move closer to where you believe the suspect is hiding. You turn toward your partner and say, “Cover me.” With those two simple words, you have turned the safety of yourself and the security of your family over to a fellow cop, and you don’t think twice about it. You know that he will do everything in his power to make sure you are safe and taken care of.

The unit supervisor has returned from an “action” meeting and his message is crystal clear: “We need more arrests made, more search warrants served and more narcotics seized.” Another detective has developed a good confidential informant who has proved to be reliable and helped develop a case for trafficking. An additional squad mate has returned to the office with a diagram of the target house and is already banging away at his computer to draft a search warrant. You don’t bat an eye at the warrant or the information the C.I. has provided. As you prepare to drive to the residence to execute the warrant, you never question the integrity of the case, the warrant or your fellow detectives’ work.

As you’re working a robbery case, you develop a lead that brings you in contact with a potential suspect. After you interview him, you have clear probable cause to arrest him for robbery with a weapon. Your partner takes him to the car as you quickly follow up with a phone call. You join your partner at the car and ask him if he has searched the suspect. He says, “Yes, nothing but a wallet and some keys.” You don’t think twice about whether or not his search was thorough or that he may have missed a gun prior to both of you driving the suspect to be booked.

The Association concludes contract negotiations, signs a “memo of understanding” or takes a stance on an issue that involves a Metro management decision. A seasoned officer who is assigned to the Association picks up the other end of the phone that you have dialed and explains to you the who, what, where and why of a situation you are involved in. Do you think twice about what he is saying? Do you doubt that he has your best interest at heart? Do you question his loyalty?

Most of us who are reading this are police or corrections officers. Our very existence depends on faith, trust and loyalty to and from our fellow officers. This does not stop at hostile calls, serving search warrants or dealing with potentially armed suspects. Each one of us assigned to the Association is either a police or corrections officer just like you are. We all have the very same interests and concerns for a safe, productive, non-hostile, lucrative career as you do. We are not “untouchable” in our assignments, nor have any of us ever forgotten where our loyalty lies.

The vast majority of the members I speak with on a daily basis understand this and know this to be true. From time to time however, I run into some members who may question our loyalty, our desire to serve fellow officers and our will to fight the fights we know are right and even doubt our wisdom and experience when we suggest to negotiate instead of fight a case we are clearly going to lose. I have always found it ironic that the Department will trust its officers to guard the President of the United States while carrying multiple firearms and never bat an eye, and yet will make policy that those same officers shall not enter the station key room unsupervised. If that sounds as ridiculous to you as it does to me, think about how ridiculous it sounds that you would certainly trust me with your life while in the field and yet may doubt my ability as it relates to our contract, a Metro management decision or the ability to know what politician to endorse because they support what we fight for each day.

If you find yourself to be one of those people, ask yourself why. If you observe others acting in such a manner, ask them why. In the meantime, get involved with your Association, get to know your area representatives, attend general membership meetings and participate in Association functions. If America trusts me to stand next to the president while I carry a firearm, won’t you trust me to negotiate a contract, fight for you at IA and advise you as issues arise with Metro management?

I offer my sincere thanks to all who continually support the Association and its commitment to excellence to its members. Only together can we build a strong future for ourselves.

Happy new year to each and every one of you! I sincerely hope that you were surrounded by family, friends and good cheer during the holiday season. This year is certainly shaping up to be an exciting and fruitful one for the members of the LVPPA. Let’s first examine what we accomplished in 2015 that set us on the course we are on today.  

The year began with a tall order regarding the objectives we needed to achieve during the 2015 Nevada legislative session. Police, pensions and collective bargaining were all on the chopping block, and we knew we were in the fight of our lives. Our LVPPA lobbyist joined forces with similar groups that are also in jeopardy, to wage battle against what can be described as guerilla-warfare legislation attempts to destroy our profession and livelihood. Considering the circumstances and the overwhelming odds against us, we finished the session with only SB 241 and SB 168 to deal with. Unfortunately, some have chosen to attempt to pervert the language in those new legislative provisions, and we are dealing with that through judicial review and administrative remedy. I’ll address that later in this article.

The LVPPA was built and operates by a governing document called bylaws. In simple language, the bylaws are a document that provides direction for the Board of Directors, members and employees of the Association. Unfortunately, on rare occasions, an individual who may not have the best interests of the Association and the members we represent in their mind or in their actions must be dealt with accordingly. As we are all aware, this occurred in the spring of 2015, and although it was a difficult and dark day for the LVPPA, we rose to the occasion and utilized the bylaws given to us by the membership to take appropriate action, close ranks and continue serving our members without skipping a beat. This was not an easy endeavor, but all members of the Board of Directors were engaged, informed and willing to call a spade a spade. I’m proud of each and every one of them for the integrity they displayed.

Once I was elected as the new executive director, the new strategy of the LVPPA became immediately apparent as we ordered an audit to be completed on every financial aspect of our Association. At the same time, we assembled a bylaw review committee as well as an expense policy committee. Transparency (yes, I used that word!) is so very important to me regarding the Association’s financial picture. After several weeks, our audit was complete and we received an excellent report regarding our accounting practices and financial standing. Soon afterward, we presented the Board of Directors with an expense policy that governs all expenditures of the LVPPA and requires strict accountability. The Board of Directors promptly approved the audit findings and the expense policy. The bylaw review committee is currently hard at work and following the process prescribed regarding changes and updates. The intent of the committee is to look for vulnerabilities and obsolete language in an attempt to keep our bylaws fresh, relevant and beneficial to the smooth operation of the Association. Lastly, we are working with Peavine Capital to build an official investment policy to govern the Association’s assets. Our current portfolio is solid, strong and earning money, but building an investment policy will ensure a prudent strategy regarding long-term LVPPA goals and financial stability for many years to come. We anticipate both the bylaw committee review and investment policy to be complete and presented to the Board of Directors for approval in the near future.

We were very happy to pay off the Association building mortgage last August. You, the members, are the proud owners of our building. We had been accelerating payments since we purchased the building in 2008, with the goal of having it as an additional asset for the membership to enjoy for many years to come.

The Association teamed up with LVMPD to successfully lobby the Clark County Commission to pass the “More Cops” tax initiative. This issue has been a long and exhausting battle that the last Metro and LVPPA leaders failed to make happen. I’m proud to say we got this done within 90 days of starting my new position, and we are promised that it will deliver more than 132 additional police officers to Metro alone by the end of 2016.

Mike Ramirez and I have been busy building a Nevada State Lobbying Coalition of police officers. For the first time in Nevada history, it looks as if we will have one voice for cops. Mike and I were able to bring the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), Nevada Association of Public Safety Officers (NAPSO), Peace Officers Research of Nevada (PORAN) and Southern Nevada Conference of Police and Sheriffs (SNCOPS) together to discuss, lobby and interview potential endorsees. This is big, historic and very powerful. Our goal is to ensure that politicians who claim to have “police endorsements” when they run for office actually have all of the police endorsements in Nevada or none at all. This will make our endorsements more valuable, more powerful and more meaningful to the ones who’ve earned it.

Let’s revisit SB 241, the new law that says that associations must pay or give concessions for the hours used by association representatives to help members. Our sister association, PPACE, was sucker-punched by Metro last summer and instructed to come back to work or pay more than $40K a month to the Department for the employees who are assigned there. The LVPPA and LVPMSA were told we were next as soon as our contract expires in July 2016, so we took proactive steps to stop the madness. We filed amicus briefs with the Employee Management Relations Board (EMRB) to support the ongoing SEIU v. Clark County issue similar in nature to ours. The EMRB’s recent decision slam-dunked any employer attempting to pervert the law, and clearly defined that SB 241 is a subject of mandatory bargaining (what we told them it was all along) and that the “evergreen” clause is valid in contracts (meaning they can’t order assigned association members back to work) until we’ve concluded a new contract. Furthermore, LVPPA and LVPMSA have challenged the entire SB 241 law in federal court as unconstitutional, as it applies to our specific groups of people and is not equally applied to nontraditional police work conducted by officers all around LVMPD. We are confident that we are making headway and find it disturbing that it appears some are choosing to attempt to manipulate the law instead of applying it as it clearly is defined. Lastly, we can celebrate once again, as the PMSA has won a major victory in the Nevada Supreme Court regarding disciplinary transfers cloaked as administrative transfers. For years we’ve had Association members transferred from a choice assignment, usually with ADP, for no reason given except that they “are not effective in their assignment.” No documentation, no justification, nothing. The court found for the member, and Metro was ordered to reinstate him to where he was and pay him for all the ADP he missed due to the inappropriate transfer. This case sets a new precedent.

This last fall, we recruited and hired Kelly Sweeney, who was the former LVMPD director of labor relations. Kelly is now the LVPPA’s director of employee relations, and is vigorously assisting us in defending our members with her vast knowledge and experience, having worked for the employer side for 30 years prior. Kelly has brought a new level of professionalism and understanding to our team, and she has already proven to be a valuable asset available to each member of our Association.

Mike Sullivan joined the LVPPA as our political consultant and has years of experience in Nevada regarding the political and legislative process. He will continue to provide the guidance and strategy in the political arena for the LVPPA. Mike’s job is to open doors and open minds of those who may have influence, so that the LVPPA’s position may at least get some consideration and attention.

The Association has successfully negotiated a contract for the Las Vegas City Marshals, and its final approval was completed by the City Council in November. The COLA and deferred compensation employer matching funds alone are worthy of note. We broke new ground on this contract, and our goal is to take some of these concepts and ideas to the new LVMPD/LVPPA contract, which we will begin negotiating in 2016. You can find the new Marshals contract on our website.

The improvements and new ideas keep coming, and we just keep getting better and better at serving you, the members. 2015 was a challenging year, but also the most productive year I can remember. We continue to boast high membership percentages, and that tells me and the rest of my peers that we are doing many things right. We will never stop looking for ways to improve and make our Association better. We are poised for an excellent year, and our recent history will prove that our hard work was not in vain. We are more than prepared to blaze the trail in 2016, and I encourage all of you to become more involved. Consider attending our general membership meetings, volunteer for committees, come and enjoy the holiday shindigs (Trunk or Treat and Santa Day), apply for a sports/scholarship donation, or just drop in and say hello. I encourage each of you to send me feedback, comments and suggestions. We work for you, and your satisfaction is our goal!

As always, be safe.

Police Officer Mark Chaparian
Executive Director

There is a decision looming to be made by you, our members, in the coming months. What path shall we take to guarantee the stable level of union representation to which we have grown accustom? Maybe the first question you have is, “Mark, what are you talking about?”

Earlier this year, during the last Nevada Legislative Session, a new law called SB 241 was created. This new law requires all public sector unions, like the LVPPA, to reimburse their employers (LVMPD) for all compensation that employees receive for being “allowed” to work at the union conducting union business on your behalf. In short, Metro is going to demand that we, the membership of the LVPPA, pay for, or give concessions equal to, the benefit that Metro pays on behalf of each full-time Board member. Metro plans to calculate the roll-up costs for each of the seven full-time representatives assigned to the LVPPA. This calculation typically includes things paid by Metro such as salary, pension contributions, health care premiums, workers’ compensation insurance premiums, etc. The law was created because some people in our community believe it’s wrong to employ police and corrections officers who don’t perform traditional police and corrections functions. In other words, they don’t want to pay for any officer who works to ensure that those who protect others are protected as well.

It’s ironic to me that this type of law was created, yet I can point to several other unaffected positions all around the Department that are helpful to the overall mission, yet have no direct impact on enforcing laws. Our function here at the LVPPA is much, much deeper than just traditional union work, as so many people like to stereotype us. We do negotiate and administer our contracts, take grievances, fight and mitigate discipline, etc. However, our role does not stop there. We also serve as a “benefits section” for LVMPD. We are advocates  P# 868 for employees in so many ways. We help oversee our health care benefits, advocating to ensure our people receive the best health care, dental and vision possible. We are there to make sure management doesn’t make decisions based solely on what may be fiscally beneficial to the Department yet devastating to our members. We review new policy drafts, sit on committees and boards that Metro deems necessary and that ultimately decide your fate in instances from vehicle accidents to critical uses of force. We are your voice, your advocate, and in some cases, your lifeline. We are busy untangling the messes our administration often creates that usually negatively impact our members. We spend time with elected officials to attempt to influence them to vote for “more cops,” support stronger laws protecting police and corrections, and maintain the pension and benefits that all of us have worked so hard to achieve. The bottom line is this: When there is a problem, members call the LVPPA, and we work diligently to get it resolved. When there is an officer-involved shooting, the LVPPA is there making sure you are protected legally, administratively and ethically. This list goes on, and I’m sure I’ve made my point.

The LVPPA and LVPMSA, on behalf of the membership, are suing LVMPD in federal court, declaring SB 241 as unconstitutional as it is applied to representative associations. We are seeking an injunction to stop Metro from what is nothing less than an attempt at union busting. We have also been following and support the case that PPACE filed with the Employee Management Relations Board and have submitted amicus briefs in anticipation of the decision we are all hoping for. We are lobbying hard to change the makeup of the Nevada Assembly and Senate for the 2017 session so that we can seek legislative relief at that level as well.

So what’s the plan to make sure that the LVPPA continues to exist and do what it does now and in the future? There isn’t one plan, but I’d like to share a plan that I think may work best for the membership. Other substandard plans include increasing dues; depleting reserves; reducing service and benefits; farming out responsibility to outsiders unfamiliar with our issues, inexperienced and likely unreliable; or closing up shop altogether. Ultimately, you, the member, will decide where, what and how the LVPPA is and will be in the near future. This plan is one of several that we will roll out and ask you to decide in the near future. Keep in mind, this is only a rough plan at this point, but clearly stands above and beyond the rest. No matter what, you will always have the final say.

The Plan

We each earn four hours of sick time each pay period. That equals a total of 104 hours of sick time each year that we are employed. With the exception of a very few, our sick hours are “capped” at 1,250 hours that can be considered for “cash value” upon retirement. Assuming one did not use any sick time, it would take 12 years to reach the “cap.” Everyone hired after July 1, 1988, is offered zero cash value upon retirement of anything over 1,250 hours. Hours that one may accumulate above and beyond the 1,250 cap may only be used if every other time bank has been depleted due to a catastrophic event for yourself or a loved one. In essence, the vast majority of us will simply lose the time above and beyond the 1,250-hour cap during our careers. We have a plan to capture a small portion of that time, which likely will be wasted anyhow, and put it to good use to “pay” for the time used for permanently assigned LVPPA representatives. Allow me to explain.

If we modified the contract to reflect that if everyone earns four hours of sick time each pay period and 15 minutes (that’s .25 hours) were to be put into an Association hour bank, one would essentially earn and accumulate a net 3.75 hours instead of four hours each pay period. The difference to an individual would mean that instead of accumulating 104 hours each year, one would accumulate 97.5 hours. In the grand scheme, instead of taking 12 years to reach the 1,250-hour cap, it would take you 12.8 years to reach the cap. To put it yet another way, donating 15 minutes of sick time each pay period to ensure the LVPPA can continue to function and operate would delay reaching the maximum 1,250 cap by approximately 9.5 months over a career.

Some people may wonder what would happen if they do get sick and need those few extra hours during their careers. The contract already addresses catastrophic leave and each member is eligible to receive 160 hours of “cat leave” in his or her career. In a 25-year career, one would have donated approximately 160 hours at .25 hours a pay period to fund the LVPPA full-time officers. When it’s put that way, one can see even if the worst-case scenario were to happen to you during your career and you actually needed the 160 hours, it’s given right back to you and you’re whole.

I’m hoping that each of you reading this will give this some serious thought and consideration. Ask yourself and your peers, why wouldn’t this plan work and what is really the better alternative? I don’t believe that we all got where we are by the grace of God himself. From time to time, you have to step back and make a calculated decision, take some risks and have a little faith. We are but one ship with many people on a rough sea. The opposition is counting on you to waffle. I’m asking you to join us to fight, organize and come together like no other body of law enforcement professionals ever has. Let’s show them solidarity like never before!

As always, be safe!

Police Officer Mark Chaparian
Executive Director

I’d like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank each and every one of you who supported me during the election for executive director in June. For those who didn’t support me, I’d ask that you allow me the opportunity to earn your trust, respect and support. You are all equally important to me and the entire Board of Directors. These are not just cheap words to make you feel good; I intend to prove it to you!

Our profession is facing challenges like we’ve never seen before. The 2015 Nevada Senate Bill 241, signed into law on June 1, has threatened the very existence of full-time association representatives by requiring compensation or concession to offset the cost of those carrying out association business. We have been working hard to educate elected officials, seek legal remedy and build a coalition to ensure our success with this issue when the time comes next year. I’m confident that we will find a reasonable resolution.

The “More Cops” sales tax initiative is alive and well. We desperately need more police officers, and we will be firmly supporting the Sheriff in his crusade to convince the Clark County Commission to pass an ordinance allowing for the collection of additional sales tax to fund additional police officers.

Mandatory overtime, shift adjustments for special events to avoid paying overtime, challenges with decentralization, prohibiting possession of mobile phones at CCDC, inconsistent punishment for sustained complaints, and preparing for contract negotiations are just a few of the many issues we are attempting to fix, negotiate or fight. Internally, we are busy revamping our bylaws, building an expense/travel policy, updating our technology and, most importantly, reengaging you, our membership, with surveys, more onsite visits and specifically a deeper inquiry into targeting what our membership really wants from its Association.

We have a team of professional, talented and dedicated Executive Board officers to serve you around the clock. As the new executive director, I have made it very clear to everyone on our team that we are striving to bring the LVPPA to a new level of service and professionalism. You deserve no less. Our group is composed of experienced men who have a diverse level of skill and knowledge to ensure that our goals become a reality. Our people are our biggest asset, and I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce our lineup.

Assistant Executive Director: Police Officer Mike Ramirez

Mike has been a police officer with LVMPD for over 10 years. During his tenure with Metro, he has served as an informal patrol leader and later as a field training officer. Mike was involved in a shooting with a heinous felon that caused him to use deadly force as a resolution. He has been involved with the LVPPA for many years and is always the first one to sacrifice, volunteer and commit to any project or task necessary to ensure that our members are being served in the best P# 1809 way possible. When I asked Mike to drop his whole life and head up to Carson City to lobby on behalf of our members at the last minute, he didn’t pause to think about it; he jumped at the opportunity and served us very well. He has extensive experience in union leadership from his past employer, and currently is the owner/operator of a successful small crane business. Mike is one of the most generous people I know, and I can’t think of a better person to serve as my right-hand man.

Director of Operations: Corrections Officer Thomas Reid

Tom has been a corrections officer with LVMPD for more than 18 years. During his time at LVMPD, he performed as a SERT officer, firearms instructor, defensive tactics instructor and field training officer. He became interested in and involved with the LVPPA very early in his career with Metro. He has spent over a decade as a full-release Executive Board member, and has established the best institutional knowledge and experience of LVPPA operations compared to any other. Tom has dedicated much of his time and effort to the LVMPD Health and Welfare Trust. He has served as the chairman and co-chairman of that Trust many times, and gets deep into the weeds with subcommittees, research and education regarding best practices and business models. He has recently stepped up to take on the task of learning our treasurer duties, he’s the in-house editor of our magazine, and he continues to ensure that our staff and building are operating smoothly. Tom brings not only his LVPPA experience to the table, but also his long and distinguished Marine Corps career as a lieutenant colonel. Tom is one of the most loyal people I’ve worked with, yet he’ll be the first to pull you aside and let you know when you’re screwing up. He adds a level of perspective to our group that is invaluable.

Sergeant at Arms: Police Officer Darryl Clodt

Darryl began his career with LVMPD almost 24 years ago. Prior to coming to Metro, Darryl served in the U.S. Air Force and reached the rank of senior master sergeant. Here at Metro, Darryl became a field training officer and eventually spent a long period in the Gang Unit. Later on, Darryl was selected to be a part of the Counter Terrorism Task Force, which took him to Washington, D.C., as a Metro cop to work alongside officers from other agencies. Darryl became involved with the Association several years ago and has been an Executive Board member for years. Darryl has taken on the primary responsibility of representing our Association at the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO). He brings a unique personality to our Association. Additionally, Darryl is our “odds-and-ends guy.” He typically has the most diverse calendar of the week, as he helps us by ensuring that all of our appointments and meetings have coverage when we get slammed. His investigative experience and knowledge, coupled with his firearms instructor background, make him a formidable force to defend our members’ actions when called upon.

Treasurer: Corrections Officer Scott Nicholas

Scott has been a corrections officer with LVMPD for more than 15 years. During Scott’s time with Metro, he’s been a SERT officer, firearms instructor and defensive tactics instructor. He served for many years as an elected representative from CCDC, and has the best knowledge of institutional issues and resolutions regarding our corrections officers and the facilities they work in. Unlike many of us, Scott began his career with LVMPD during his midlife, and I believe that gives him a unique perspective on what is fair and reasonable regarding working conditions, pay and expectations. He has served with me for many years on our contract committee and is our in-house “numbers guy.” Scott has a background and work ethic stemming from being raised on a farm and later, as an adult, hauling material and supplies via an 18-wheeler across America’s industrial complex. Scott serves as our treasurer because he has a passion for numbers and pays attention to detail.

Director of Technology: Police Officer Bryan Yant

Bryan began his career with LVMPD over 15 years ago after serving in the Marine Corps. He became a field training officer, was assigned to a Problem Solving Unit, earned his firearms instructor title and eventually was assigned to the Narcotics Bureau. He served a stint on the Southern Nevada Counter Terrorism Watch Desk. During Bryan’s career, he was involved in several deadly force events. He, like no other currently assigned to the LVPPA, knows about controversy when it comes to using deadly force. What may be the correct decision isn’t always the popular decision, and no one understands this better than Bryan. The events he has endured, although tragic, offer our members some insight, and what they may learn from Bryan may just save their lives or careers. Bryan also manages our day-to-day information technology regarding communication devices, computer maintenance, website maintenance and social media.

Secretary: Police Officer Steve Grammas

Steve began his career with LVMPD as a cadet in 1998 and became a police officer almost 15 years ago. During his time with Metro, he served in the Problem Solving Unit, Narcotics Bureau and various undercover assignments, and attended instructor development in order to teach at LVMPD. Steve possesses the least experience as an Executive Board member, but he has continued to learn and strive as the secretary of the Association. The role that Steve holds is very important to the LVPPA and its membership, as he is the principal person ensuring proper documentation and recordkeeping. He has a high level of energy and is a key player who always has ideas regarding enhancement of membership benefits. He continues to push the limits of our Board to “think outside of the box,” and challenges any thought of “that’s how we’ve always done things.” Steve has expressed interest in becoming a trustee on the Health and Welfare Trust and a Deferred Compensation Committee representative.

It’s no secret; we live in very challenging times. Whether collectively or individually, attacks on our profession can be expected daily. We are experiencing an unprecedented level of scrutiny and pressure regarding what many of us took for granted not so many years ago. The issues stem from a new culture of hate and disobedience toward the police, a right-wing anti-union national movement and a naïve public who feel confident that they understand your job better than you do. The LVPPA will continue to fight, win and successfully represent you individually and collectively at every angle and level related to your career. No other organization or entity has the level of experience, dedication or proven results that we at the LVPPA have. I’m proud of what the LVPPA has accomplished. I’m more confident than ever that we will continue to be successful with all of the coming challenges. We have set the stage for our success because of the people who are willing to do what it takes to bring that win home. Your Executive Board members, your Board of Directors and your fellow members need your support more than ever before as we navigate through these unchartered waters. Let’s show our Department and our community just how first-class our membership is by sticking together and supporting our cause. No one said this would be easy, and we certainly can’t do this alone. As your newly elected executive director, I’m counting on your support now more than ever!

As always, be safe.

Police Officer Mark Chaparian
Executive Director