Saturday, January 29, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

CORRECTION 02/01/05 -- An article in Saturday's Review-Journal about Clark County Assistant Sheriff Rod Jett misidentified former Sheriff Jerry Keller.

Moving beyond 'the race thing'

Assistant sheriff proud that hard work is rewarded

Assistant Sheriff Rod Jett works in his office earlier this week. Jett's promotion to assistant sheriff last month made him the highest-ranking black officer in the Metropolitan Police Department's history. Photo by John Locher. Assistant Sheriff Rod Jett works in his office in Las Vegas Thursday, Jan. 27, 2005. Photo by John Locher.

Rod Jett recalls his early years with the Metropolitan Police Department, when anonymous colleagues drew monkeys and "The Little Rascals" character Buckwheat on an office board, topping off the images with the words "black man."

The 26-year veteran also remembers when, as a lieutenant in the Internal Affairs Division, he supervised a team that included several other black officers. It prompted some white officers to joke: "What are they starting, a Black Panther Party?"

The slights also came from outside the department. Jett recalls how young black suspects arrested in police attempts to curb surging gang wars tried to provoke him with "Uncle Tom" insults.

Some might believe life got easier for Rod "Dog" Jett last month, when he gained the lofty title of assistant sheriff. The job came with a salary increase to $121,000 a year and a bigger office on the 7th floor of police headquarters, which offers a panoramic view of downtown Las Vegas.

But Jett knows his becoming the highest-ranking black police officer in the department's history will prompt some speculation that the promotion had more to do with his skin color than his qualifications.

"I tried to separate myself from the race thing, but it's just an unfortunate part of life. You can't escape it," Jett said in a recent interview. "There's added pressure because I happen to be black. ... I'm proud that at the end of the day when I go home, I realize the rank that I achieved -- the fact that I'm black had nothing to do with that. I can honestly say that I earned my position through hard work and many nights away from my family."

Despite the bad experiences, Jett stressed he loves the department. And he believes its rank-and-file and administration today are largely comprised of officers who respect racial differences.

Jett, a Las Vegas native who was raised in government-subsidized housing projects on H Street and Owens Avenue, grew up dreaming of becoming a police officer.

The vast majority of the officers Jett has groomed during his career are white. But his own mentor was the late Larry Bolden, a black lieutenant in the now-defunct Las Vegas Police Department, before its merger with the Clark County Sheriff's Office to form the Metropolitan Police Department.

Bolden endured a three-year legal fight before being promoted to captain in 1973.

Bolden's battle began in 1970, after he had passed a police examination and was in line for a promotion.

The situation turned ugly when fellow captains alleged Bolden had cheated on the exam. Las Vegas' city manager at the time moved to fire Bolden.

But the city manager backed off in 1973, when the Nevada Supreme Court found there was no evidence of wrongdoing by Bolden, who died five years ago.

Jett values, in particular, one piece of advice Bolden gave him: Don't make excuses.

"That was the one thing he reiterated to me time and time again," said Jett. "I never felt uncomfortable (among police peers who made racial comments). I felt hurt that I was wearing the same uniform, that I was willing to sacrifice my life for these people and at times I was looked upon as being less of an officer because of my skin color. I was fortunate enough to have superiors who never had those attitudes."

After joining the department, Jett eventually earned supervisor roles on the gang unit and the SWAT team.

With SWAT, Jett had to make potentially life-and-death decisions, such as when to stop negotiating and when to storm a building.

His most challenging and rewarding time with the department, he said, was working on the gang unit. He tried to make a dent in gang violence by speaking with gang members and to church and community leaders.

Despite Jett's efforts, police were still responding to about two gang-related shootings a day, he said.

"I felt the most satisfaction and disappointment by working in the gang unit," Jett said. "I saw no matter how much I worked, no matter how many speeches I gave, or how many gang members I arrested, there were always 10 other people who stepped up and replaced the people we got rid of. ... I guess you could call that the highlight of my career and, at the same time, the most disappointing time of my career."

During 1992, after the Rodney King verdicts, some blacks in Las Vegas rioted.

Jett was part of a team of officers who went to rescue a white couple who lived in a predominantly black neighborhood. An angry mob fired gunshots at marked police cars, including the vehicle Jett was in. But the officers rescued the family and no one was injured, Jett said.

Jett credited former Sheriff Bill Keller and current Sheriff Bill Young for dramatically improving the racial climate within the Metropolitan Police Department, which is now about 10 percent black.

Jett thinks he knows what Bolden, the pioneer before him, might say if he were alive today.

"I think he'd say, 'Hey, I'm proud of you. Great work, and you're not retired yet.' "