Letters to the Editor, Dec. 31-Jan. 6

READER OFFERS PROPOSAL TO FIX BUDGET

I do a lot of driving on the 215 between Aliante Parkway and Jones Boulevard every day, and I know how we could solve our budget woes in North Las Vegas. Post a couple of police officers on this stretch of road (which is under construction) in both directions. The posted speed limit is 45 mph, and if you drive that speed, you will be run over by other cars passing you at 65 and 70 mph or faster. I try to drive the speed limit because there are many workers there, but I have been flipped the bird on numerous occasions, even if I am driving 50 or 52 mph. We also have a speeding problem from Aliante Parkway to the Las Vegas Beltway east to Interstate 15. Most of the speeders seem to be Air Force personnel and young girls driving that stretch, and once again no one is obeying the speed limit of 55. I have been passed by cars doing excess of 80 mph and get a lot of dirty looks if I am doing 55. I’m surprised there aren’t more accidents happening there. Come on, North Las Vegas; let’s see some policemen in these areas, and our budget problems could be solved in a very short time.

— Robert S. Danelski, North Las Vegas

RESIDENT CALLS FOR NEW POLICE PRACTICES

As a 76-plus-year resident of this valley, it is time to say no to the local sheriff wanting more money.

The first thing to do is do away with the outgoing sheriff picking the incumbent, thus extending failed and even corrupt practices decades into the future. Minimum standards of education, management and command experience need to be incorporated into the qualifications for office.

This is a rather small pie-shaped valley with a huge chunk carved out by North Las Vegas and many smaller pieces by school police, park police, constables and bailiffs, among others. One well-coordinated organization would save millions of future dollars. The jail is one example.

Another expensive and useless program is the firearms blue card program that exists nowhere else in the state or any of the other Western states.

If and when consolidation were to to occur, safeguards need to be in place so as to not reduce neighborhood policing. The citizens need to have guarantees in place so the all police resources do not end up on the Fremont Street Experience or the Las Vegas Strip (county). The local event operators, casinos and hotels need to provide a larger share of the cost of policing those areas. Add a special police tax for hotel properties.

Reorganize the whole police protective services valleywide rather than throwing taxpayer dollars into a bottomless well.

— Chas Musser, North Las Vegas