Henderson Police Chief Thedrick Andres poses for a photo, Tuesday July 21, 2020.
Sunday, May 30, 2021 | 2 a.m.
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The Henderson Police Department comprises men and women who courageously go into the field every day to protect and serve the community with dignity, fairness and respect. Most chose a career in law enforcement because, at their core, they want to be of service to others. It is because of them that Henderson is consistently ranked as one of the safest cities in America.
HPD is an accredited law enforcement agency, and department policies are consistent with, and often exceed, industry best practices and national standards. When I took the helm of HPD two years ago, I wanted to build on those strengths and take the department to an even greater level of performance excellence. I believe in continuous improvement, so we frequently evaluate what we can do better. Monthly data analysis meetings help us identify crime trends and other indicators to ensure we commit the right resources to the right places at the right times.
Those who enforce the law should be held to the highest standard, and I am focused on ensuring that department policies and procedures are followed to the letter. Last year, I created a unit of specially trained officers who review every critical incident involving use of force and make recommendations for improvements if warranted, such as potential training or policy changes.
The department has experienced some challenges in the past; however, actions that may have been dismissed or overlooked at one time are no longer condoned or tolerated. Change in the law enforcement profession is not always easy or pretty, but it is necessary.
Henderson residents, businesses and visitors have high expectations for our officers and professional staff, and I hold them accountable for their actions, both on and off duty. Accountability is more than just disciplinary; it’s about relationships and responsibility to people both inside and outside the department.
That’s why I implemented our Geographic Policing Model. This community policing approach assigns officers to specific neighborhoods. This has improved our officers’ knowledge of and responsiveness to community challenges and increased ownership within their assigned beats. I invite you to attend a Talk Shop with Cops event and personally meet the officers who work in your neighborhood.
We have also expanded the department’s training efforts. In 2019, HPD established its own Police Cadet Academy to ensure the best training for Henderson officers and promote service excellence from their very first day on the job. I’m also proud of the leadership program we created to invest in and develop the future leaders of the department.
Additionally, HPD was recently selected to participate in the Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) Project, Georgetown University Law Center’s national training and support initiative. The ABLE Project recognizes that police officers face unique and challenging demands, and focuses on establishing a culture of accountability and empowerment for every member of the department to play a meaningful role in “policing” one another if actions go outside established norms.
This training opportunity, along with cultivating relationships inside the department and in the community, will play an essential role in officers’ capacity to recognize and address any behaviors that may need to change.
As the chief of police, it is important that I highlight the great work occurring in the Henderson Police Department and throughout our community every day. I remain committed to ensuring that HPD has a culture of continuous improvement, transparency and accountability as we continue to protect, serve and cultivate relationships, and build even greater trust within our community.
Henderson Chief of Police Thedrick Andres has led Nevada’s second largest city’s police department since 2019 and has nearly 30 years of law enforcement experience.
