EDITORIAL: North Las Vegas constable should forfeit his office for failing to comply with the law

Robert Eliason takes home a six-figure salary courtesy of the taxpayers. The question is why.

Mr. Eliason serves as North Las Vegas constable. The primary purpose of his office, which also includes four deputies, is to serve legal documents — eviction notices, court subpoenas and the like.

Constables are elected officials and the requirements for office don’t include a law enforcement or legal background. Instead, state law demands that within one year of taking office, constables become certified by the Nevada Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. The goal is to ensure those carrying the badge are trained to comply with the relevant statutes.

North Las Vegas voters elected Mr. Eliason, a former city councilman, in 2014 and he assumed his duties the following January. He had until January 2016 to undergo the mandated training. But in September of that year, the commission granted his request for a six-month extension, giving him until last July to complete the requisite certification process.

Now, more than halfway through his four-year term — and seven months past his second deadline — Mr. Eliason remains uncertified. State law is unambiguous: If a constable does not complete the training, “the constable forfeits his or her office” and the Clark County Commission appoints an interim replacement.

In fact, however, the commissioners appear to be ignoring the situation in hopes it will just go away. Review-Journal reporter Michael Scott Davidson noted over the weekend that a week before Mr. Eliason’s extension expired, the executive director of the training panel informed commission Chairman Steve Sisolak via letter that the North Las Vegas constable had yet to comply with the law.

Mr. Sisolak now says hasn’t devoted much attention to the matter. “I just assumed it got done,” he said, later adding that, “We can’t ignore it.”

Commissioner Susan Brager agreed. “It seems like the rules are the rules,” she told Mr. Davidson. “It seems like he would have to give up his position.”

No, this is not the most important matter facing the commission. But an elected law enforcement official who fails to comply with state statutes does more than just set a poor example. He potentially risks triggering action over the legality of his office’s activities and also creates possible liability issues.

The County Commission should schedule an agenda item to move forward with the removal of Mr. Eliason. State law is clear: The North Las Vegas constable should forfeit his six-figure job.