By Akiya Dillon
Las Vegas Review-Journal
LAS VEGAS — A gifted “fleet” of Tesla Cybertrucks, a new training model to reduce officer-involved shootings and the recently established “Wellness Bureau” were presented at Metro’s State of the Department address on Tuesday morning.
These roll-outs, officials said, would support the department’s continued effort to keep the public and law enforcement safe in 2025.
Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill opened the event hosted at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas. He said 2024 motor vehicle thefts and homicides in the department’s jurisdiction were both down by more than 20 percent compared with the previous year.
“It’s amazing to reflect on what happened with Metro in our community last year,” McMahill said. “We have the best law enforcement agencies that work together here in Southern Nevada , and we’ve had remarkable success… As I walk through these numbers, I want to remind you that these are human beings.”
‘A lot of components to saving lives’
After opening remarks, McMahill introduced Undersheriff Andrew Walsh to discuss, among other things, crashes, officer-involved shootings, and the department’s technological advances.
“At Metro, we always take pride in our ability to solve problems,” said Walsh, who shared that Metro saw 160 traffic-related fatalities in 2024. Although Metro issued 120,000 traffic citations in 2024, which was 40,000 more than the year before, Walsh said, the number of crash fatalities has remained high.
“When we look at a number that doesn’t change, we look at everything involved,” Walsh said. “There are a lot of components to saving lives. Every one of these is preventable, and we all have a responsibility to change the dynamic of our roadways in 2025.”
Walsh also addressed Metro’s use of force in 2024. A graphic he displayed showed that last year, Metro had 17 officer-involved shootings, nearly double the number of those from the year prior. Walsh said that number has “bounced around” within the past five years.
In 2023 and 2021, the department reported 10 officer-involved shootings; in 2020, it reported nine.
“These are events where our police officers responded to critical incidences where they felt their life or the life of someone was in danger, and they chose to use deadly force,” Walsh said. “When we think of our ability as an organization to reduce this number, we constantly challenge ourselves to come up with new and innovative ways to reduce officer-involved shootings.”
Walsh said that the number from last year represented an officer and public safety issue. To address this, in 2025, the department would roll out the “Core 4” principles of training, which focus on de-escalation, information sharing, resource allocation, and proficiency, Walsh said.
Twelve times this year, Walsh said, patrol officers will be exposed to, among other things, “subject matter experts” and reality-based, or simulation, training. In the past, that type of training only took place twice a year, according to Walsh. He said Metro has already begun implementing this new model.
Gifted 10 cybertrucks
Before he brought the sheriff back onstage, Walsh also showed off new technology that police would use in 2025.
Discussing Metro’s use of drones to track suspects, Walsh paused, as a device with red and blue blinking lights flew above the stage in the showroom. The audience clapped as the screen behind Walsh began mirroring live footage from the drone.
“We’ll have real-time intelligence to be able to go in there and continue to save human beings and their lives. It’s an absolute game-changer as we move forward in this community,” Walsh said. McMahill noted that almost a dozen drones would be “pre-positioned” in locations throughout the valley.
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During the address, Metro also announced that, thanks to a donor that was not named, the department would receive 10 Tesla Cybertrucks for patrol and SWAT use.
“By the way, we ordered these before the Trump Tower [explosion],” McMahill said. “But I will tell you, we want these things because the cops inside will be safe no matter what. These stop bullets. They are also a tremendous recruitment tool for us.”
He added that Metro would have “the largest fleet of Tesla police trucks in the country,” and it would not impact the department’s general budget.
Toward the end of the event, James Kilber , chief administrative officer, discussed Metro’s strides to provide its employees with mental health care. Two months ago, Kilber said, the department opened a wellness center staffed with clinicians, peer support team members, and chaplains.
“These men and women see so many things each day that we can not even begin to understand,” Kilber said. “These services are needed, and they are willing to trust us. And I can tell you what. The doors opened, and people started coming for treatment and help.”
Kilber said the center had seen roughly 425 visits per month, adding that the resources there were “free, accessible, and confidiental.”
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