City leaders raise concerns over LVPD involvement in political parade

City Councilor David Romero told the Optic his main concern is possible violations of the Hatch Act, a federal law that prohibits city employees from using their “official authority or influence to interfere with or affect the results of an election.”

“That’s my concern. We’re walking that fine line of breaking the Hatch Act,” Romero said. “If (employees) want to do that on their own private time, that’s different. But when you’re in a police car and you’re on duty, then that’s a completely different situation.”

Councilor Elaine Rodriquez said she had a number of people contact her after seeing the police-led parade. Some raised similar concerns about city police officers participating in a partisan political event, while others expressed frustrations about not being notified ahead of time that a parade would take place.

“If (parade organizers) get a permit, then they usually put it in the newspaper that there’s going to be a parade,” Rodriquez said. “That allows residents to avoid those areas so they don’t get stopped in traffic.”

Mayor Louie Trujillo confirmed that organizers of Saturday’s parade never applied for or received a permit, something he said is required by any group wanting to host a parade.

“That’s only to secure city resources,” he said. “If we have to block a street, (provide) traffic control, alert pedestrians, we have to know. The reason you have to get permitted is that permit goes to the fire department, it goes to the police department, it goes to the streets department, so that everybody is prepared for that.”

Chief of Police Adrian Crespin told the Optic LVPD was contacted by an organizer of the parade who asked for an escort, a service he said the department often provides to citizens.

“We do escorts for many people,” he said. “They asked my commander. My commander, who was on call, he made the decision to allow that escort.”

Crespin said he supported the escort as a community service, and to ensure the safety of those in the parade.

“When I heard about it, I sent out a message to stand back and continue for safety, to make sure we didn’t have protesters, or anybody that would interfere with what was going on,” Crespin said. “Our concern is safety. Our citizens’ safety, and the visitors’ safety.”

Mayor Trujillo said he’s heard that some LVPD officers and their families attended the parade or may have had a role in organizing it, but they did so on their own time while off duty.

Crespin said the police department does not endorse any political candidate, and that officers don’t endorse any candidates while on duty, but he notes that when not on duty, officers are allowed to support any political candidate they wish.

As for the officers who were in the parade in uniform and in city-issued vehicles, Crespin said those officers have been spoken to about the incident, but said the details of those conversations are a personnel matter that he cannot discuss.

Organizers of the parade have a similar parade planned for this Saturday, with participants traveling from Las Vegas to Mora for another event. Crespin said LVPD officers will not provide an escort for this event, and that he is suspending all escorts, with the possible exception of funeral processions.

 

Public health order violations

Nora Meyers Sackett, press secretary for Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, told the Optic that under the current emergency public health order—which went into effect a day before the parade took place—no parades are allowed. Parades have not been allowed under other iterations of the health order, either. She also said that a procession of vehicles is not specifically prohibited, provided participants remain inside their vehicles.

“As soon as you have more than five people outside those vehicles, then it is a violation of the public health order. Beyond that, it’s just not a good idea because you’re all breathing the same air,” Sackett said.

A photo featuring several parade participants was posted to Facebook Saturday by Tina Sione, an attendee of the event. The photo shows about 60 people gathered close together, with only a few people wearing face coverings.

Sackett said every person who was there when the photo was taken should self-isolate at home for two weeks and get tested for COVID-19.

“It goes without saying that such a gathering is not only an immense threat to the health and safety of the people of Las Vegas, and every person in that photo, it is also a violation of the public health order, as is being in public without a mask on,” Sackett said.

Sione said that those who participated in the parade remained in their vehicles for the entire parade, and that after the parade, some participants got out of their vehicles to pose for the photo.

“We just took a quick picture and that was it. It wasn’t like everybody was hanging out and hugging. There was none of that going on. We just gathered around, took a picture, and then everybody left,” Sione said. “We know that the virus is real. It’s not like we’re making it sound like a hoax or anything … We just took a quick picture. That was it. We’re not harming anyone.”

Sione said she was surprised to see LVPD officers there, but said they were welcome because it made those in attendance feel safer.

“It made us feel safe, and it made the community feel safe,” she said. “It was nice to have them there.”

Mayor Trujillo said that going forward, he will work with Chief Crespin to discourage any further involvement by LVPD in political events, and to ensure city resources are not used for any event that promotes a particular political candidate or party.

“There’s no problem with standing by in  case we get a call,” Trujillo said. “But as far as committing resources, and tax-payer money, I’m going to discourage that fully.”