LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, officers and members of the LGBTQ+ community met Wednesday night at the Center to discuss ways to build bridges, overcome distrust and grow cooperation with Las Vegas locals.
Sheriff Kevin McMahill invited his officers who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community to address any concerns and answer questions on a panel.
“We have to truly listen to the people that we police in the communities that the police are part of. This is really a listening tour for me, also to figure out how we can better serve this community, and keep this community safe,” McMahill said.
“In today’s world, this community is a target not only for international terrorists, but domestic terrorists and individuals that just don’t like this group. I have a responsibility to protect them as members of this community,” McMahill said.
The Center invited the Sheriff and officers to meet with community members. On social media, a number of community members voiced concerns with the invitation.
“There’s a lot of fear around police, fear that they won’t be treated properly. We have the ear of the person at the very top and we can create change if we work together,” said AJ Holly Hull of the Center, who serves on Metro’s Multicultural Advisory Council. Since the Stonewall riots in New York in 1969, Hull said many people still have concerns about confrontations with police– especially in parts of the country where discrimination is more prevalent. Others have concerns that victims of violence, domestic violence or other crimes may be overlooked by law enforcement.
“If we’re not having these conversations, and we’re not educating on what’s happening, then how are we going to fix things?” she said.
Some protesters gathered outside, holding up signs with names of two homicide victims who were transgender; LVMPD made arrests in both cases.
“Like most of the homicides in my community, we have a 90-plus percent solve rate, both of those cases were solved. The community that the victim comes from or the community that the suspect comes from, I don’t discriminate,” McMahill said.
“It is rare to have a police department that will even show up for people in our community,” Hull said. Hull tells FOX5, after the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando, LVMPD officers immediately offered patrols to the Center for added safety. Hull said Sheriff McMahill offered similar law enforcement support after the 2022 Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs.
Hull said captains from LVMPD have reached out to the Center, and they hope to meet with individuals to address their community concerns.
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