Policing Las Vegas: A History of Law Enforcement in Southern Nevada

By Denny Griffin

After being established in 1905 as a railroad town, most of Las Vegas' population was made up of tough railroaders, ranchers, and miners who worked, drank, and fought hard. Sam Gay, the first police... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0929712234
• ISBN13: 9780929712239
• Release Date: May 2005
• Publisher: Huntington Press
• Length: 207 Pages
• Weight: 0.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.6" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Recommended by New Book Reviews

Synopsis After being established as a railroad town, most of Las Vegas' population was made up of tough railroaders, and miners who worked, drank and fought hard. Sam Gay, the first police chief, as well as the first elected county sheriff, broke up the numerous scuffles by grabbing the combatants by the scruff of the neck and banging their heads together-- it was the beginning of a long legacy of law and order in America's most explosive boomtown. Over the years Las Vegas left behind its rough and tumble beginnings to become the gambling and entertainment capital of the world. Naturally, the influx of residents and visitors-- and their money--brought crime. From Prostitutes to street gangs, mobsters to drug dealers, robbers to cheats, Sin City has seen it all. And law enforcement efforts have had to adapt accordingly. ISBN:0-929712-23-4 Category: Non-Fiction, History - Law Enforcement Our New Book Review Huntington Press A well written history is among my favorite books, Policing Las Vegas by Dennis N Griffin certainly exceeds my standards for this category. Well researched and presented, the City of Las Vegas and surrounding Clark County Nevada's history of law enforcement is filled with colorful crooks and cops. From "Mob Enforcers" to gangbangers, and the men and women that worked to bring them to justice, this work is filled with the reasons why Metro Las Vegas Police Department is one of the leading Police Departments in existence. Mr. Griffin has avoided the sometimes dry facts and figures rote, by using the "real" colorful characters that brought about the changes and growth to LVMVPD and the reasons why they did so. His use of recent interviews of people that were there, in person, shows the many faces of law enforcement and the determination most had to do the job well. He shows events and people, both good and bad, as they were recorded. My highest recommendation is given to anyone that enjoys history or law enforcement subjects. Ray Ward (...)

My thoughts on Policing Las Vegas

There's a great book that just hit the market - Policing Las Vegas, by Dennis Griffin. As Las Vegas, NV reaches its Centennial in May 2005, the book, that is a complete and unvarnished history of law enforcement in this wild and unique city, is there to introduce the reader to the crime fighters that made Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department what it is today. Take the time to visit with Hiram Powell, the rough and tough street cop, who tangled in the 1940s with Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel on numerous occasions. Hi always came out the winner, even with Bugsy having friends in the business, if you know what I mean. If you think Hi's story in the book is fascinating, you should take the time to meet him in person. Yes, he still lives here in town. Meet Herman Moody, one of the first African-American police officers in the city of Las Vegas. Find out what it was like to work the rough west side of the small but growing city. Herman gave the city of Las Vegas more than thirty years of service. He too is still in town and shares his experiences with his friends. Visit the modern age of law enforcement as a very busy department serves the ever-expanding community of Las Vegas and Clark County. Come and meet today's heroes of the department like Enrique Hernandez, who after an anything but routine traffic stop, was shot numerous times by the criminal her pursued. Although severely wounded, Enrique has fought hard to recover and has returned to limited duty. Also meet Dennis Devitte, who while off duty was confronted by armed robbers, and even though he faced superior firepower, took the robbers on, was shot eight times, but was still able to return fire and kill one of the robbers. Mr. Griffin was able to write Policing Las Vegas with the cooperation of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. This fantastic book was three years in the making. When the project was undertaken, Mr. Griffin told the department he would cover the history of the department, not just the good stories, but all the stories. He has covered both the good and the bad, and how it has affected this well respected police department. In fact, at a recent book signing and reception, Sheriff Bill Young, honored Mr. Griffin by attending the event and praised Mr. Griffin for his outstanding book, Policing Las Vegas.

Policing Las Vegas

I must be totally frank. I have been a fan of Dennis N Griffin's writing since his first book,THE MORGUE. Even though THE MORGUE was Dennis' first attempt at writing, the technical material was presented in a clear, easy to read and easy to understand, style. The following books: RED GOLD, BLOOD MONEY, ONE-ARMED BANDIT, PAIR-A-DICE and PENSION came in quick succession. POLICING LAS VEGAS is an historical account of the beginning of law enforcement in Las Vegas to the present day. There are many wonderful stories of the dedicated, competent men and women,some of whom, have given their lives to make this a safe town for us and our many visitors. Great selection of pictures, one-of-a-kind.

Outstanding!

This well-researched book is full of information about Las Vegas and the evolution of law enforcement there over its first hundred years. It also contains many, many photos. If you are a history or police buff you'll want to read this book.

Awesome

This is a must read! The facts and information in this book are sometime unbelievable. Mr. Griffin sure did his research, therefore resulting in an awesome book!! Keep going, every book is better than the last (if that's possible)!!