Councilwoman slams Henderson police as unions pull their support

Henderson’s two largest police unions are distancing themselves from Councilwoman Monica Larson after she renounced a political endorsement from one of them last week.

Andrew Regenbaum, executive director of the Nevada Association of Public Safety Officers, said the Henderson Police Supervisors Association decided to withdraw its endorsement of Larson in response to a scathing email she sent Saturday to the union representing rank-and-file officers disavowing its endorsement of her.

“The HPSA pulled its support because it can’t countenance the disrespectful treatment of one of its members by someone who is an elected official,” Regenbaum said Tuesday in a phone interview. “They (City Council members) have a duty to hold themselves to a higher standard and she not only didn’t do that, but her conduct was less than civil and plainly disrespectful.”

Larson did not respond to a request for comment, but campaign consultant Liz Trosper shared Larson’s Dec. 13 email to the Henderson Police Officer’s Association, or HPOA, relinquishing her endorsement from them. Larson, whose term ends in 2029, took office in January after defeating former Henderson Ward II Councilman Dan Shaw in 2024.

“This decision stems from the persistent lack of integrity, professionalism, and morality exhibited by the Henderson Police Department that I have personally witnessed and experienced,” Larson wrote.

Larson: ‘Blatant disrespect and unprofessionalism’

Larson went on to write that despite consistent support for the Henderson Police Department, she has been met with “blatant disrespect and unprofessionalism” from officers and HPOA leaders. Larson in her message specifically mentioned a June 28 encounter with an officer who responded to a call for service near a home near Larson’s residence.

Larson in her email did not disclose details of the exchange, but she said the officer’s conduct was “particularly egregious.” She wrote that she alerted superiors at the Henderson Police Department including Chief Reggie Rader.

Regenbaum, who was speaking on behalf of the HPOA and HPSA, said the supervisors union decided to pull its endorsement of Larson after her email because it became clear to labor leaders she “doesn’t support the Henderson Police Department as a whole.”

“She doesn’t support the men and women who work there, and she’s made that abundantly clear in an email she sent to the Henderson Police Officer’s Association,” Regenbaum said of Larson. “I guess she believes it’s OK to be disrespectful to law enforcement and then double down on that by being, basically, anti-police as a whole as somebody who was supposed to be the elected official who stands for the safety of the city of Henderson.”

Other endorsements

Even though Larson won’t be seeking re-election for several years, Regenbaum said the unions’ endorsements are a powerful tool that can signal to voters how Henderson officers and supervisors feel about a particular candidate or issue.

The unions pulled their support of Councilwoman Carrie Cox in February, Regenbaum said, after she made comments supporting Hollie Chadwick, who was fired as the Henderson police chief in March and launched a campaign in May challenging mayor Michelle Romero.

Last month, Cox was censured and pleaded not guilty to a felony charge after a Metropolitan Police Department investigation found Cox reportedly recorded a private conversation involving Larson and others in January. Metro’s report also uncovered other uncharged allegations against Cox.

Cox announced in May her intention to seek re-election in 2026, and Nevada State Board of Education appointee Annette Dawson Owens has so far been the only challenger to emerge.

Regenbaum said the unions have not endorsed candidates in either 2026 race. But that doesn’t mean they’ll stay totally quiet either, he said.

“The men and women of the (Henderson) Police Department pretty much have a good feel for the pulse of the city,” Regenbaum said. “They’re out there every day, actually working with the citizens of the community … so I would hope that the citizens of the community listen quite intently and follow the message that the unions give.”

Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Casey_Harrison1 on X or @casey-harrison.bsky.social on Bluesky.