Police union wields clout as it turns on one of its own in council race

When early voting results were posted shortly after 7 p.m. Tuesday, Glenn Trowbridge was leading Stavros Anthony by 3 percentage points as they vied with four others for an open seat on the Las Vegas City Council. When the final tally was in, Trowbridge's lead increased to 8 percentage points.

Something happened between the time early voting closed Friday and Tuesday's election.

Since I live in Ward 4, I know exactly what happened.

The Las Vegas Police Protective Association, the union representing 2,700 officers, made an overt push against Anthony, a Las Vegas police captain. Cops worked to block another cop's political aspirations.

Using mailers and automated phone calls, the police union reminded voters in Ward 4 of two things Anthony would prefer they not remember. First, that Anthony had, on at least one occasion, used his badge to get an upgrade on an airline flight, which is against department policy. Second, as a university regent, Anthony proposed allowing teachers and staff to carry guns on campus, a controversial idea that went nowhere.

The police union mailer said Anthony "hasn't always made the best decisions."

The two issues were reported widely by the media in 2007, but some voters probably had forgotten about them. Between the end of early voting and primary election day, the police union refreshed voters' memories. The 5 percentage point swing, even with a pitiful turnout, proves the police union push made a difference.

Anthony, watching from his northwest home as the returns trickled in, said the mailers and calls showed him one thing: "Negative campaigning works."

Unfortunately for him, these were not lies or distortions.

Chris Collins, executive director of the police union, said the fliers and calls were all based on public record. It's not much consolation to Anthony, but I've seen fliers that were a lot sleazier than the one the union produced against him.

But there's a more subtle message to voters. The fact a police organization is turning its back on a police officer of 29 years doubtlessly makes voters wonder: What else do they know about him?

Endorsing Trowbridge wasn't an easy decision by the board, Collins said. Board members split on the endorsement, but eventually the majority prevailed, and Trowbridge won the nod because his experience was more on point for the job. Trowbridge was director of personnel and director of parks and recreation for Clark County, and he's a current vice chairman of the Las Vegas Planning Commission.

But the board also decided that, "We can't annihilate Stavros; he's one of our own," Collins said.

I received six fliers from Anthony, all focusing on his experience and ideas. One carried an endorsement from former Gov. Kenny Guinn.

Aside from the one police union flier, I received three fliers from Trowbridge, including one in which former Ward 4 City Councilman Larry Brown supported him, as did Mayor Oscar Goodman with the old hand-shake photos and kind words, which don't quite qualify as endorsements but yet leave that impression.

Maybe Trowbridge didn't need the police union effort since he already was leading, and Anthony had been outspending him two to one.

Clearly, the police union raised questions in voters' minds about Anthony; and as the race moves toward the general election June 2, the group will remain active in the Ward 4 runoff race.

Trowbridge is distancing himself from the police union's efforts.

"I didn't have anything to do with it," he said at his election party at the union's headquarters.

The law says groups that make independent expenditures can't coordinate with candidates. Of course, the law also says groups which spend independently of a candidate must file expenditure reports -- which the police union failed to do.

Anthony has a defining issue he plans to use against Trowbridge: the new city hall. Anthony opposes it.

Trowbridge supported it originally as a member of the Planning Commission and has made differing statements about it since then. Based on the calls I get complaining about it, the new city hall proposal may be an issue with legs, so get ready to hear the two candidates debate that topic.

And the police union isn't done questioning Anthony's judgment. So much for police brotherhood.

Jane Ann Morrison's column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. E-mail her at Jane@reviewjournal.com or call (702) 383-0275. She also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/morrison/.