Reno told to get more street cops

A firm the Las Vegas City Council has asked to look at Metro Police's operations told the Reno police department it needed more cops on the street, Reno Deputy Chief Bob Galli told the Sun.

David M. Griffith & Associates, a national consulting firm that audits public sector organizations, examined the Reno police department last fall.

The same firm is being approached by the staff of the city of Las Vegas to look into Metro's operations. The City Council asked for the audit after Metro Police Sheriff Jerry Keller requested an 8 percent increase in city funding for fiscal 1999.

Council members at Monday's City Council meeting expressed concern about spending $70 million on Metro while constituents still complain about not seeing patrol cars on their streets.

In its report issued to the Reno police in January, Griffith urged the department to eliminate some of its non-patrol positions and put those officers back on patrol beats.

"It was really nothing that police departments all over the country aren't dealing with," Galli said.

Griffith also recommended changing officers' schedules to allow for at least 35 percent of their time to be spent patrolling, talking with residents and conducting other community policing efforts, rather than answering calls.

"We were lower than that recommendation," Galli said. "And it was something that in reality is difficult to do -- unless you have an unlimited budget."

Galli said the department was happy with Griffith's work overall.

"It helped us to step back and review our structure and deployment of resources," he said. "From that standpoint it was good. It wasn't a negative thing for us to do. It pointed out our strengths as well."

Keller told the council Monday that he would be "excited" about an audit because it would show that Metro is well-run.

"It's the most scrutinized budget in the state," he said.

City officials were uncertain exactly when the audit would be conducted and if Clark County -- which pays for part of Metro's funding -- would help pay for the research.

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