Miller in LV, but bodyguards aren't

CARSON CITY -- Gov. Bob Miller and his family moved out of the governor's mansion in Carson City more than a month ago and probably will not return, but eight state troopers whose mission is to protect the governor and his family are still there and there are no plans to transfer them.

The Millers moved to their private home in Las Vegas because the governor's mansion is undergoing an extensive remodeling.

The eight-member "Dignitary Protection Unit" consists of eight Nevada Highway Patrol officers, including one sergeant and one lieutenant. The unit, created in 1995 exclusively for the purpose of protecting the state's first family, is operating on a budget of $602,791 this fiscal year.

In Las Vegas, the governor and his family are without the round-the-clock protection this money is intended to provide.

Miller's press secretary, Gordon Absher, declined Monday to go into details of the security at the governor's home in Las Vegas. State records, however, show that there are only two officers assigned to the protection unit in Southern Nevada.

Absher defended leaving the eight troopers on duty at the governor's mansion, saying it is still state property and needs guarding.

"There is security for different types of reasons," Absher said. "There might be somebody hopping the fence and grabbing cool souvenirs. It's a different type of security."

Col. Mike Hood, chief of the Nevada Highway Patrol, said to transfer the full Dignitary Protection Unit to Las Vegas "for 60 to 90 days would create a financial liability." In addition, he said, the governor still spends a lot of time in Carson City and needs security.

Referring to the lack of 24-hour coverage of the Miller home in Las Vegas, Hood said, "We're trying to make do with what we have. We're doing the best we can without increasing the detail."

Hood said the unit was created not only to protect the first family but also to protect the mansion by screening people who approach it.

At present, there's a construction fence cutting off access to the front of the mansion. Other state buildings in Carson City have security from the Capitol Police, which sends patrols around at night.

The Nevada Highway Patrol troopers at the mansion still handle phone calls, Absher said. "The troopers are busy. We get calls from them three to four times a week," he said.

Asked whether the safety of the Miller family might be more in danger in Las Vegas with its higher crime rate and bigger population, Hood said, "If we perceive a threat, we can put officers there on a temporary basis."

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