CNA Provides Support to the COPS Office and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

On November 15, 2012, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) released a groundbreaking report on its use of deadly force policy and practices, as the department had come under intense scrutiny for the prevalence and nature of officer-involved shootings in the recent past. The report, Collaborative Reform Process: A Review of Officer-Involved Shootings in the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, was funded by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and is the result of a six-month case study conducted by members of CNA’s Safety and Security Division.

The team conducted interviews with key stakeholders in the department and community; directly observed the department’s training and use of force review board hearings; and studied volumes of internal police department documents and investigatory files. The team also provided real-time technical assistance on a number of reforms that were under way.

The final report details 36 findings and 40 recommendations regarding department policy, training, investigations, and operations with respect to use of deadly force. Collectively, the recommendations aim to improve the department’s operations and training, increase community trust and transparency, and reduce the number of preventable officer-involved shootings.

Bernard Melekian, Director of the COPS Office, said that this work is “a groundbreaking national model,” aimed at reforming police departments in a collaborative fashion. Sheriff Doug Gillespie of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department added that the department “will be judged based on how we follow through on the recommendations of the report.”

Over the next year, CNA looks forward to continued engagement with the LVMPD and the COPS Office, particularly through provision of technical assistance and support in implementing the recommendations.