Lesney top female in Metro history

If she hasn't yet, new Metro Police Deputy Chief Terry Lesney will soon be hanging a picture of retired Minnesota Twins baseball star Kirby Puckett in her new office.

It's a picture that has followed Lesney through the ranks of the Metro Police Department since she was a rookie in 1982, through promotions to sergeant, lieutenant, captain and, as of Saturday, deputy chief.

The Minnesota native says Puckett and Pete Rose are her heroes because they gave 120 percent every game, which is what she plans to do as the highest-ranking woman in Las Vegas law enforcement history.

"I was a little dazed and confused by the promotion at first, but now that it has been a few days I'm settling in," said Lesney.

Lesney now heads the department's Human Resources Division overseeing community relations, personnel, training, inspections, payroll and polygraph examiners.

"I've never felt like I've been treated any differently from anyone else here at Metro," Lesney said of being the first woman to become one of the department's six deputy chiefs. "The promotion is important for the agency as a whole, because it says something to females interested in law enforcement, and it says a lot about Metro and its future."

Deputy Chief Ray Flynn moves from Human Resources to fill the deputy chief's post vacated by Kyle Edwards, who had headed up the department's investigative services bureau.

Edwards, who has over 20 years experience at Metro, has resigned to take a position as vice president of corporate security at the MGM Grand hotel-casino.

"It will be an interesting change and a nice challenge. MGM is an excellent company," Edwards said. "It will be a transition from the public sector to the private sector. Investigations are still somewhat the same and managing people is somewhat the same, and that's what I've done here for many, many years."

He starts at MGM on Dec. 13.

Flynn takes over criminalistics, crimes against persons, financial and property crimes, secret witness and the internal affairs bureau.

Lesney was field training officer in 1985 and was promoted to sergeant in 1986. She was named lieutenant in 1992 and joined the gang unit, and in 1996 Lesney was promoted to captain of the southeast area substation where she oversaw 182 officers and 18 civilian employees.

She also served as captain of the gang unit and most recently headed up the narcotics and vice sections.

In other Metro changes, Lt. Anthony Stavros will be promoted to captain, department spokesman Steve Meriwether said.

Sheriff Jerry Keller has said in the past that Lesney "is a star," and that "her willingness to listen is the key to her success."

Sun reporter Jerry Fink contributed to this report.

archive