Knappster: Cop shortage key reason for high percentage of traffic kamikazes

By George Knapp

It's hard to pinpoint exactly when all-out warfare erupted on the roadways of Southern Nevada. Driving here has always been dicey, largely because of the presence of so many tourists, some of whom choose to stare at all of the pretty lights instead of watching the road, some of whom are so enraged by their gambling losses that they don't care whether they live or die, and many of whom are absolutely hammered because of untold hours spent guzzling free casino drinks or from two-day binges at any of our accommodating nudie joints.

Okay, we've all learned to expect and deal with such daily challenges. But somewhere along the way, maybe 10 or 15 years ago, longtime locals started noticing new threats to our mutual survival. It was about that time when the first wave of kamikaze nutballs hit town. I'm generalizing here, but it seems like most of these motorized headcases came here from Southern California, where a casual jaunt to the grocery store can become a survival-of-the-fittest, every-man-for-himself exercise in modern Darwinism.

Each year, as more and more newcomers arrived from the cradle of demolition-derby driving, Los Angeles, our comparatively passive roadways and highways have become more dangerous. Turn signals are now superfluous doodads that might as well be listed as optional equipment. Speed limits are viewed as mere suggestions, rules for the sick, the weak or any other motorist who deserves to be culled from the herd. Red lights are obeyed only by limp-wristed losers with meaningless lives. People who drive the speed limit, click their turn signals when they change lanes, or, God forbid, stop at red lights even though six cars have already run the damned thing, should just pull over and make way for the truly evolved.

They drive as if their souped-up cars won't start until their operators snort a big line of methamphetamine. They pound their steering wheels, blast their horns, shake their fists, flip their middle fingers and leap out of their three-story, four-wheel, ghetto-blasting monster trucks to scream, spit or occasionally pummel any hapless little old lady or soccer mom who dares to hog the slow lane.

You might have the same question that pops into my head from time to time. Why isn't there a cop around when any of this happens? Why do drivers who choose to obey traffic laws have to fear for their lives every time they buckle up for a trip to the Quickie Mart? The answer is simple. There aren't enough officers to go around.

Consider it another of the not-so-hidden costs of our runaway growth. Law enforcement agencies are stretched to the breaking point because of the relentless, overwhelming, tsunami-like waves of new residents, many of whom seem to regard their daily commute to be a line-in-the-dirt test of their manhood, or an opportunity to demonstrate that emancipated women can be just as hostile as a roid-raged trucker.

Even without considering all of the special challenges posed to law enforcement by our 24-hour lifestyle, we do not have enough cops. Most major cities have at least 2.5 officers per 1,000 residents. Many have a much higher ratio. Sheriff Bill Young has set a modest goal of achieving two cops for every 1,000 residents. How close are we to this minimum level of protection? It would take an infusion of 400 new officers to get to the 2.0 level.

If you wonder why Metro doesn't zip right out to your house whenever some gangbangers are slamming beers and popping off fireworks on the lawn across the street, or when a minor burglary is discovered, or when someone has stolen your credit cards and is using them to buy $300 tennis shoes, this is the reason. The police are forced to prioritize their many challenges. Violent crimes, gun crimes, life-threatening crimes must always take priority. It's exactly the reason there aren't more traffic cops out there to catch the aggressive buttheads who run red lights and try to force you off the road.

In November, voters will be asked to pass judgment on an advisory ballot issue. Metro is seeking the resources to hire more officers, enough officers to get to the very reasonable two cops-per-1,000 residents level. Achieving that level will require two increases in the sales tax over 10 years, each increase amounting to one-quarter of 1 cent. Tax increases are never popular, especially if the voters don't know exactly what they will get for their money. But in this case, the end result is being spelled out in very specific detail.

"If it passes, people will see a difference, and quickly, " promises Sheriff Young. "We will be able to add 150 officers per year while also replacing the 50 officers who retire each year. We would hire an additional 1,700 officers in the first 10 years and a total of 2,500 overall. We could add the new officers more quickly than that, but we don't want to lower our standards for admission to the academy."

Even with such an ambitious expansion, the additional cops would barely get Metro to the 2.0 standard. And what would all of these new cops be doing? For one thing, Young says, he could add a substation in the Southern Highlands area. As it is, the substation that is responsible for that neighborhood is based at Spring Mountain and Jones, not exactly around the corner. Filling out a new substation would require 150-200 officers. Some of the new cops would be assigned to homeland security duties, a consequence of the new reality we all face. Just under half of the new cops would be assigned to patrol duties, cruising residential areas all over the valley, providing a highly visible deterrent to crime. And a big percentage of the expanded force would be designated for traffic control.

"I would double our traffic patrol if I could," Young says. "I'm not as interested in catching every speeder because that would mean pulling over almost everyone. But I absolutely would target drivers who run red lights. Running a light results in T-bone collisions, and people don't understand how much havoc that causes. Those are the crashes that kill people."

The mindless nitwits who routinely run red lights might be expected to vote against the More Cops ballot question, but the rest of us, who presumably don't want to see our families crushed and mangled by an amped-up real estate salesman who blows through an intersection while hurrying to close a deal, or by a cell-phone-jabbering sports junkie trying to get a bet down before kickoff, might welcome seeing a cop chase down the most heinous offenders among us.

What happens if the measure doesn't pass? Young says he doesn't want to play doomsday politics. He says he would step back, review his options and probably have to realign his forces, thus eliminating important but less essential programs like DARE, the drug education effort. He also might ask the state Legislature to approve the use of cameras in dangerous intersections to augment traffic enforcement. But no matter how many adjustments the sheriff might make, population growth will almost certainly continue. That means the ratio of cops to residents will continue to drop, the response time to crime scenes will increase and the Red Light Raiders will continue to do scream through intersections, putting all of our lives in danger.

You choose.

Monorail moment

Unfortunately, last week's Knappster on the continuing woes of the Las Vegas Monorail was written before the latest total shutdown of the troubled train. In the interim, several of my journalism colleagues have eagerly entered the fray and now have the monorail squarely in their crosshairs.

It will be interesting to see what questions are asked of the RTC, which announced a few days ago that it is suspending all work on the second leg of the monorail--the publicly funded leg, that is--until all safety questions are answered. It's the prudent thing to do, of course, which is why it strikes me as suspicious. The RTC has been an unabashed cheerleader for the monorail from the beginning, and strong ties remain at the highest levels. It makes me wonder what sort of subterfuge is really under way. The cynic inside thinks that somehow, this so-called suspension of the second leg will end up in a vote of confidence for this rail-borne fiasco.

Names and faces

Informed sources say a federal grand jury is now hearing testimony concerning a lengthy FBI probe into alleged election rigging in Nye County. ... The BLM is calling for volunteers for a public cleanup of the precious Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area. The cleanup is set for Saturday, Sept. 18. Lunch will be provided. Call 515-5234 for info. ... Former Metro cop Steve Waugh, whose rose through the ranks to become assistant sheriff here years ago, has just been elected as sheriff of Yavapai County, Ariz., which encompasses the resort town of Sedona. Waugh won in a landslide. His cop friends here have nothing but good to say about Waugh. ... The Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings will celebrate its 91st birthday next weekend. The two-day, nonstop bash will include food, booze and live music. Friendly Dave says everyone is invited. ... KVVU Channel 5 staffers and on-air folks gathered at Euro Place this past weekend to say goodbye to ace news photographer Eric Sorenson, who is leaving the full-time news scene to help his wife, KLAS anchor Charlotte Evans, raise their daughter. It's a classy, but scary, move.