Constable controversy highlights different standards for politicians, ordinary citizens

It is Nevada law that elected constables in urban areas obtain a peace officer certification within a year of taking office. Despite this law, North Las Vegas Constable Robert Eliason has since January 2015 somehow served in this position without certification. This man makes about $100,000 a year and oversees four deputy constables.

I would think he’d be removed from the office and be required to pay back the money he’s made from a job he’s not legally eligible to hold. That’s my solution.

But Sen Mo Denis has one, too. He has sponsored a Senate Bill 250 that would drop the certification requirement. The best part is that he sponsored this bill at Mr. Eliason’s request. Sen Denis also threw in, “It just doesn’t seem fair we were requiring some kind of training.” What’s not fair is elected officials demanding that the peons of the world respect the law, while they disregard laws already on the books or rewrite these laws after the fact to suit their needs.

Thankfully, the proposal was opposed by every law enforcement official who testified at the Senate Government Affairs Committee.

Next time I get pulled over in North Las Vegas, I’ll call Sen Denis, and ask him if he can change the speed limit to fit my need on that day. If elected officials want the respect of ordinary citizens, they need to play within the same rules, not create a special set for themselves.