Las Vegas NowPark Police Cry Foul Over Small Staff
LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- In 1991, Clark county had a population of 835,000 and it had 17 park police officers. Now, the county is well over 2 million and yet there are still less than 20 people in the park police department.
On a weekend best known for picnics and fun, there is a lot of stress over safety and the lack of park police in Las Vegas. There will be only two officers on patrol for more than 200 park facilities.
"They didn't want to hire police officers. We call it mismanagement," said Bill Foy, Clark County Park Police Association.
Bill Foy is the head of the park police union which is butting heads with the county. Foy and 17 other officers and staff patrol 200 parks and recreation areas in Clark County.
"Approximately the size of the state of New Jersey," Foy said. He joined the force in 1991. Since then -- 18 years later -- the county has only hired one new officer, despite opening more than 60 new parks and seeing population nearly triple. Criminals know the force is stretched thin.
"Word is getting around and they know that we're not there," Foy said.
"Our parks are just a microcosm of what happens in the county, in the valley, in the country," said Jane Pike, the acting director with the county parks and recreation department. She says budget cuts have kept the park police from getting more backup.
"Our folks do a fantastic job despite their limited resources of getting out there, patrolling the parks, interacting with people," she said.
An internal strategic plan by the county does blame the economy for lack of police. Foy doesn't buy it, unable to know what the excuse has been for 18 years. He does not believe the parks are safe.
"The majority of the officers that work here do not go to county parks. They don't bring their families to county parks," he said.
Internal audits obtained by the I-Team say park police are among the lowest paid officers in the entire state. The union isn't seeking large raises, they just want more officers out in the parks. There is currently at least one vacancy on the force.
