Gunning for new officers in Las Vegas

Wanted: People in good physical shape who can write, sensitively handle conflict and, above all, respect the rights of other people.

That's merely a shell of the candidate the FBI, Metro Police and North Las Vegas Police are seeking, in addition to an applicant who can pass a battery of tests and background investigations.

Yet a central point all three agencies emphasized repeatedly Monday during the first-ever joint recruiting effort at the Community College of Southern Nevada's Cheyenne campus is that a rewarding career in law enforcement isn't limited to fighting crime on the front lines.

"It takes two things to wear the badge," Sheriff Jerry Keller told the audience of about 300 potential applicants. "It takes a heart to have compassion for fellow human beings, and ears to listen to the concerns and fears of the public and bring the expertise of police to their situation."

Keller said crime in the Las Vegas Valley has dropped 15 percent over the past three years because of Metro's team, which includes everyone from the operators answering 911 calls to the crime scene analysts who collect and process evidence to the officers patrolling the streets and responding to calls.

"In the next five years, we will hire over 1,000 police officers and 400 civilian employees" Keller said. These job will be available to people with a variety of skills and interests.

The 90-minute presentation included videotaped introductions to each of the agencies.

The FBI's film, for example, included a woman who joined the bureau after a brief career in accounting and a man who had worked as a highway trooper.

The FBI requires applicants to be U.S. citizens between the ages of 23 and 36 with four-year college degrees. Candidates also must have either a degree in law or in accounting or a related discipline to pass a certified public accountant exam, and be fluent in a foreign language. The amount of related work experience depends on whether the candidate holds a bachelor's degree or an advanced degree.

Special agents start with annual salaries of $34,000, and after four months of training bump up to $41,000 plus locality pay. Agents in Las Vegas, for example, get a 5 percent increase; those in San Francisco and Los Angeles receive 16 percent.

Metro and North Las Vegas candidates must be U.S. citizens, at least 21 years old, possess a valid driver's license and a high school diploma or General Educational Development certificate, and have no felonies or criminal convictions.

Metro recruits start out at $34,363 annually and max out at $51,126 with a rank of Police Officer II. The current salary range for a North Las Vegas officer is $36,652 to $50,522.

Working for a large police force in a city with more than a million people is motivation enough for Erin Littig, 23, who on Monday night was planning to submit his application to Metro.

"It's a career that offers more challenges and more opportunities than Wichita (Kan.)," with its population of 300,000. Littig had been a resident there until January when he and a friend moved to Las Vegas. He received his bachelor's degree in sociology last May.

Monday's program also motivated Mildred Santos, who is thinking of a career with Metro. Scheduled to graduate in December from UNLV with a degree in hotel management, she explained that five years spent working for a hotel made her realize she wants to follow a different career path.

"I originally wanted to join the military when I got out of high school, but I was afraid and never did it," the 23-year-old Las Vegan said. "Being in the military means you have to be ready to move away, and I have close family here. I didn't want to leave them."

A career with Metro, she said, would solve that dilemma, offering her a chance to pursue her interest in law enforcement and stay close to home. She hopes to get on Metro's bike patrol -- a goal for which she is getting encouragement from two friends who are Metro officers.

Metro Lt. Greg McCurdy said Metro often hires recruits who've been similarly encouraged by officers on the force. In the past six months, Metro personnel have traveled on recruiting missions to universities and military bases in New Mexico, Louisiana, Texas and San Diego.

Yet it is the Internet, he said, which has proven to be the best recruiting tool.

Mixed in the crowd of potential applicants, however, are people such as Darren Dimaya, 25, whose motivation to get into law enforcement stems from a gang-related shooting involving kids he knew.

"I've lived in Las Vegas since 1978, and I've seen the county grow," said the UNLV student who will graduate this year with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. He has his sights set on becoming a police officer, and eventually a detective, with North Las Vegas -- an agency that's growing right along with its city's population.

"It's a good time to enter the police department. It's growing, which means a greater chance for so many more (career) opportunities."

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