EDITORIAL: New year brings stable constable

The warmth of inaugural speeches and swearing-in ceremonies concealed this ice-cold truth: A whole lot of politicians got fired Monday. And one of them was especially worthy of the curb.

It was a big day for democracy, with newly elected officials officially replacing predecessors and re-elected officials beginning new terms. In many nations, bloodshed precedes such transitions. In the United States, all it takes is a peaceful vote and an electorate eager for change.

From congressional seats to county commissions, this is how the taxpayers hold government accountable.

But one local elected official was canned in unusual fashion. Not only was Las Vegas Constable John Bonaventura ousted from office Monday, the department’s structure was dissolved, costing many of his former charges their jobs as well.

As reported by the Review-Journal’s Ben Botkin, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officially assumed the functions of the constable’s office Monday. Bonaventura was elected constable in 2010 and, upon assuming office in 2011, immediately set about ruining the office. When he wasn’t engaging in reality-show buffoonery, hiring unqualified deputies, fighting county oversight, recording conversations or draining the office enterprise fund, he and his charges were completely screwing up their core mission: performing evictions and serving court papers.

The fees from those services had long been more than enough to sustain the entire office, which served the city of Las Vegas and unincorporated Clark County. But the more Bonaventura bungled his job, the less business he got. That set off a turf war with constables from neighboring jurisdictions, who were two things Bonaventura was not: competent and trustworthy. We should expect at least that much from armed, sworn peace officers.

So rather than wait until the 2014 elections and hope that voters would be smart and attentive enough to replace Bonaventura — remember, he managed to win election in 2010 despite having no law enforcement qualifications for the job — the Clark County Commission in March 2013 abolished the office effective at the end of Bonaventura’s term. That day came Monday.

New Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo is also ex officio constable. Just five of about two dozen deputy constables have been hired by Las Vegas police to do the same job. About a dozen clerical staff will stay on the job as well. And the Las Vegas constable’s office won’t move. It remains at 302 E. Carson Ave.

The Las Vegas constable’s office should be a much more stable, professional place starting this week. Bonaventura and his cronies aren’t cashing public paychecks anymore.

As Nevada’s elected officials commit themselves anew to serving the public with integrity, they would be wise to remember the lessons provided by Bonaventura. Every office is a public trust, not a personal empire. Even if office holders care nothing about the voters who installed them, runaway malfeasance can result in swift punishment from government itself.

So long, John. And don’t come back.