Vegas Beat Magazine

March/April 2024

Can a Sergeant Stay With the LVPPA?

I hope that this article finds all our members happy, healthy and ready to tackle 2024. To lead off, I want to remind everyone to set goals for the new year. Among them should be to expand your contributions to your Fidelity account, invest in yourself, and start building training and skill sets to become a better officer or supervisor. As we enter another round of sergeant testing... Read More »

Understanding the Importance of Expedited Investigations

Expedited investigations began several years ago when we convinced the sheriff that LVMPD was wasting time and money investigating cases where an officer had taken accountability for policy violations, inappropriate use of force or even something of a criminal nature like a DUI arrest, to name a few examples. Over the years, while representing officers in Internal Affairs investigations,... Read More »

You Need Representation

As a member of the LVPPA, you belong to the largest law enforcement association in the state of Nevada. By choosing to be a member of our Association, we represent you and your interests at the local, state and national levels. You have chosen to be a member of this Association to have representation. If LVMPD, IAB, CIRT, Labor Relations, Health and Safety, etc., followed the rules,... Read More »

Serving Our Membership

In the past year, I have been to Internal Affairs, CIRT, FIT, meetings with supervisors and advised countless members involving matters pertaining to their careers. I recently received a phone call from an officer who was seeking advice about a disciplinary matter he became involved in. This individual had resigned his membership with the LVPPA about four years ago. I spoke to him... Read More »

LEAF Scholarships

Every year, the Law Enforcement Assistance Fund (LEAF) gives out $30,000 in scholarships to deserving immediate family members of PPA members. These scholarships are paid for out of the LEAF account and not the PPA account. This year’s scholarships will be presented at the annual Police vs. Fire charity tackle football game on Saturday, May 11. We would like to continue this tradition... Read More »

What Kind of Leader Do You Want to Be?

I have been an LVMPD police officer for 17 years this month. I am at that point in my career where when I retire, I want to ensure that good leaders are left behind to help move the LVPPA and LVMPD forward in a positive direction. One of those future leaders is Detective Joel Blasko. In the time I have known him, he has shown himself to be a good man and an excellent cop and detective... Read More »

Squad Morale and Development

How is the morale on your squad? Hopefully, the answer is positive. I often ask this question when I visit officers from various area commands and bureaus. The answers vary, as they do with the career development questions. Full disclosure: The last patrol squad I was on was in 2016 at SEAC. There, it was not uncommon to shag over 15 to 20 calls per shift. You logged on with calls... Read More »

Know Your Time

Greetings, and I hope this finds you well. This month, we are covering a topic I frequently receive questions about: utilizing your earned time off. I will review the different types of personal leave we have negotiated for, how it’s accrued, how much you can save, when you can use it and how to obtain approval for its use. I will also touch on when you may consider not using... Read More »

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