Confidence in Metro: Agency taking the right steps

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department took an important step toward bolstering the community's confidence in the force when it announced Thursday that the Justice Department would begin a review of officer-involved shootings and the policies and procedures surrounding them.

Last year, Las Vegas police shot to death 12 people, a record high for the agency. At the same time, the public has been largely kept in the dark about the circumstances of those shootings because of the postponement of coroner's reviews. Reforms to the inquests, intended to boost credibility in an oversight system that's biased toward police, have been challenged in court by the officers' union.

The federal review comes two months after the Review-Journal published the findings of its own detailed investigation into police shootings and the department's use of deadly force. Among its key conclusions: the department shoots and kills more often than police forces in comparable urban areas; inadequate policies and training contribute to some shootings; and an insular review process fails to correct problems and hold officers accountable.

That investigation and the subsequent police killing of an unarmed, mentally ill Las Vegas man spurred calls from civil rights groups for an outside examination of the department. Although the department will not be obligated to adopt any recommendations by the federal Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, the fact that this review will be conducted from the inside and will result in a detailed public report is encouraging. Sheriff Doug Gillespie said he expects the review to strengthen his department, not weaken it.

Whatever comes of the federal investigation, however, is only part of the process of winning back the full support of valley taxpayers. Reforming policies, improving training and adopting new tactics will not guarantee the elimination of errors. Police work can be exceptionally dangerous and routinely requires officers to make split-second judgments, as was evidenced last week when a local detective was wounded in pursuit of a murder suspect.

The public understands that mistakes will be made. But in return, they expect the officers who make bad, preventable mistakes -- or deliberate ones -- to be held accountable.

Indeed, just before Las Vegas police announced the federal review, they also announced the arrest of one of their own, officer John Norman, on suspicion of coercion and oppression under the color of office and misdemeanor open or gross lewdness. He is accused of pulling over two women last year and coercing them into exposing their breasts.

The Las Vegas Police Protective Association, the union that represents most rank-and-file officers, has been a consistent obstacle to transparency and accountability within the force. It consistently goes to the mat to appeal discipline and keep bad cops on the force. This, as much as any controversial shooting, hurts the reputation of the thousands of fine Metro employees, who have helped reduce crime rates across the board, across the valley, over the past six years.

If the accusations against Mr. Norman are true, and he is able to keep his job, then no outside review of the force will help get the public fully behind local police.