Feds To ‘Monitor,’ Not Investigate Vegas Police, Research Paper Example

The old saying “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” is no longer true when referring to the Las Vegas police department. Recently the Feds determined there was a need for monitoring, not investigating, this Nevada police department. These requests for a federal probe have grown after several highly publicized police slayings. The Las Vegas Review Journal has tailed 142 people killed in 378 shootings that involved officers over the past two decades. The Journal cited their conclusion with the Las Vegas police department using much deadlier forces than other U.S. police agencies.
As of this point, the Federal probe is merely an informal look at the Las Vegas policing practices and policies. They can however choose to hold a formal investigation later on down the line. “COPS … will give us access to all documents during and after the review,” Xochitl Hinojosa, a Justice Department spokeswoman in Washington, D.C said of the “best practices” survey by an office best known as a grants administrator. “We will continue to monitor the matter and be heavily involved in the process.” (2012)

The National Association for the Advancement for Colored People (NAACP) and the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada (ACLU) feel this is a waste of time in addressing the issues of abusing powers. They feel that excessive force and brutality has been present for some time and it has gone unaddressed for too long. It is time to concentrate on the policing practices of the Las Vegas police department and formally address and correct the problem, even if that involves termination. There are several noted occasions where the police shot and killed unarmed individuals. One of these references was an unarmed, troubled 43 year old veteran who rammed his car into the police cruiser. The other was a 21 year old, Trevan Cole, who was killed in an attempted drug raid. They will determine if a formal investigation is necessary later.

Reference:

Feds to ‘Monitor,’ not Investigate Vegas police. (2012) Retrieved From: http://www.necn.com/02/08/12/Feds-to-monitor-not-investigate-Vegas-po/landing_nation.html?&apID=7f63dba91d76448f840bee7d1811167e