LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Henderson households expressed gratitude and awe for firefighters and officers throughout a Tuesday night time occasion, however the police union mentioned the identical appreciation is missing from metropolis officers.
The Metropolis of Henderson welcomed neighbors to Water Road Plaza for Nationwide Night time Out, a regulation enforcement celebration, however officers and representatives from the police union went forwards and backwards on pay negotiations which have boiled over. The union hiring an digital commercial truck to show claims the town is “broke.”
“The city is not broke,” Henderson Mayor Michelle Romero mentioned. “There’s a difference between being broke and being fiscally responsible with the resources we have, and those resources are dwindling.”
Henderson Mayor Michelle Romero (KLAS)
Romero pointed to the monetary pressure as an impediment not distinctive to Henderson however fairly one skilled throughout the state and nation.
“We have an obligation to protect our taxpayer dollars and make sure that we are not spending them unwisely or inappropriately,” she mentioned. “We need to make sure that we can that we’re not falling to some knee-jerk reaction to maybe increase wages, and then a year from now, having to lay off the people that are in the departments. That’s not something we want to do.”
Public security makes up 60 p.c of the town’s normal funds, in accordance with Romero, who reiterated a precedence to assist correct policing.
The Metropolis of Henderson welcomed neighbors to Water Road Plaza for Nationwide Night time (KLAS)
“I think the city is one of the safest cities in America,” she mentioned. “It will stay that way because of the amazing men and women in our fire department and our police department that will not change, and we will get through this.”
“Going woke, claim to be broke”
On the opposite facet of the outside occasion, police union members wore matching shirts claiming officers have been “paving over police,” a phrase meant to convey consideration to funding prioritized in direction of Boulder Freeway Reimagine as in comparison with police wages.
“Most Henderson residents see time and time again, we have the money to repave roads,” Charles Hedrick, president of the Henderson Police Officers Affiliation, mentioned. “The city doesn’t have the money to pay their police comparable wages to other departments within Nevada.”
Hedrick and his fellow officers stood at their sales space for the occasion not removed from an commercial truck which across the plaza displaying “Henderson’s going woke, claim to be broke, but won’t prioritize your police,” and in addition “Underpaid, understaffed, ignored, this is how Henderson treats its police.”
Officers stood at their sales space for the occasion not removed from an commercial truck which across the plaza displaying “Henderson’s going woke, claim to be broke, but won’t prioritize your police,” (KLAS)
“The City Council loves to tote the successes of the police department while ignoring the hard work that they do and won’t pay them a fair wage for that,” Hedrick mentioned. “They like to say that the City of Henderson is ‘premier’ and that we provide premier services. Why not compensate us at a premier wage?”
Henderson’s new police chief, Reggie Rader, visited the police union members and shook arms with their management remarking in regards to the occasion. He then spoke with 8 Information Now about his response to the continuing contract negotiations.
Rader touted a brand new 40-person academy, violent crime down by 17% and automobile fatalities down over 50% as causes residents ought to proceed to really feel secure even amid negotiations.
“I don’t think any other agency in town can come close to those numbers,” he mentioned. “It’s because our cops care. It’s because the city cares the things we put in place, as far as infrastructure, all that stuff works to make this the safer city, not just a police effort alone, but a whole city effort.”
The forwards and backwards between metropolis officers and police union members was described as frequent, in accordance with Rader, who pointed to his 27 years of regulation enforcement expertise.
Henderson’s new police chief, Reggie Rader (KLAS)
“I’m not going to be upset or happy about it. It’s just a process,” he mentioned. “I’m going to let that process play out. What’s important for me to focus on is the law enforcement focus that our cops are doing every single day.”
Police union representatives mentioned they’re on account of meet with metropolis officers on Monday to proceed talks. Rader can also be anticipated to offer his first quarterly report back to the town council on the subsequent assembly.
