Longtime buddies vie in sheriff’s race

Dan Barry and Mark Beckerle have run into each other more times in 30 years than they can count.

They met at Buffalo State College, in New York, while pursuing criminal justice degrees and graduated together in 1979.

Both applied to several police agencies throughout the country before being hired by the Metropolitan Police Department. Their paths crossed again at the Las Vegas police academy when Rainbow Boulevard marked the western edge of town.

Recruits in the academy had to line up alphabetically during inspection, which made Beckerle grateful because Barry came first.

Barry, who always stood at attention two people down, could never seem to get his uniform right. At one point, he wore the wrong socks, which cost his classmates a five-mile run while holding their batons straight out with both arms.

"Dan took the heat for a lot of us unwillingly," Beckerle said, laughing.

"For the next month or so, I had to stand at attention in the doorway with white socks during our breaks," Barry said, chuckling.

It isn't that they were fast friends, it's more of a culmination of three decades of running into the same people at the same place at the same time.

Now, Barry is a retired police captain who spent 30 years with the Las Vegas police, and Beckerle is a juvenile probation officer for the county.

The former officers have extensive law enforcement careers, and now the friendly acquaintances have turned from department colleagues into political competitors.

It's just another chapter in their uncanny story.

The two New Yorkers-turned-Las Vegans are pitted against each other in the Clark County sheriff's race. And it's clear now all they want to do is talk politics.

From the beginning, Barry and Beckerle showed an interest in politics and civil service, even debating the feasibility of the death penalty in front of college classmates during one of their many criminal justice classes together.

But now the stakes are higher as one of the largest police departments in the country faces a $512.6 million budget, which is 6.7 percent smaller than last year's $549 million budget.

Barry is running on accountability and transparency while cutting "a lot of waste in the current budget that needs to be eliminated."

His proposed cuts include eliminating assistant sheriff positions, downsizing the public information office staff to one lieutenant, getting rid of outside consultants who put on mini-retreats and executive staff getaways, and consolidating the Clark County School District police with the city marshals under the Metropolitan Police Department.

"Communication is a big issue right now," Barry said. "The reality is, we don't really know what's going on within our schools and parks. That's a major issue to me for kids' and officers' safety to have better coordination."

Gangs and community-oriented policing are two of his main concerns, he added.

"I want to be extremely transparent so people know why we're doing what we're doing," Barry said. "I promise to be a sheriff accountable to the public 24/7."

Beckerle spent 13 years with the Las Vegas police and 12 years as an officer for North Las Vegas, the Clark County School District and St. Petersburg, Fla.

He said his campaign is focusing on a "broken" juvenile criminal services system that is a "breeding ground for future criminals."

"When you're not being held accountable for rape, home invasions, car theft and everything but murder, when they hit 18 they're under the impression there is no accountability," Beckerle said. "We're doing a big disservice to the youth and the community by instilling this 'Who cares?' attitude. They carry that into their adult life."

His proposed budget cuts include eliminating the Las Vegas police's mounted unit, redeploying officers who work in overlapping divisions, such as vice and narcotics, and decreasing the number of take-home vehicles for captains.

"They're police officers, they're not needed at a stable all day," Beckerle said. "We can cut redundant details in half and get people where they're needed. Take- home cars for captains are not cheap. They don't respond to calls, but costs for fuel, insurance and the car itself are paid for by the department.

"And these are just the glaring cuts I'd make."

But, don't worry, the election won't get in the way of their friendship.

"We won't become enemies over politics," Beckerle said.

Barry and Beckerle are facing incumbent Douglas Gillespie, officer Laurie Bisch, bail bondsman Tim Deam and Detective Gordon Martines in the June 8 primary election.

Contact Kristi Jourdan at kjourdan@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279.