Some of the Valley's finest are on Capitol Hill urging lawmakers to help them better protect Southern Nevada.

It's partly an effort to keep the war on terror off of American soil, and even farther from our region.

Metro is responsible for protecting Las Vegas, a city that has been on terror groups' radar before.

The department's homeland security division says that especially now with a new presidential administration, improved synergy with federal law enforcement is more important than ever.

The police officers who respond to everyday calls in the Valley are the same people who would respond to a worst case call.

Now, the man who oversees the majority of them is in Washington, asking Congress for more back-up.

Metro Sheriff, Douglas Gillespie, wants federal law enforcement to improve the way it shares intelligence with local law enforcement.

"Analysis of crime data, coupled with the execution of innovative policing tactics is the cornerstone of our efforts to successfully fight crime," says Gillespie.

The Southern Nevada Counter-terrorism and fusion centers are the latest partnership, but Metro is hoping the feds better the timeliness and relevance of the information that gets sent there.

"To prevent, and if we're not fortunate to prevent, to respond and recover," says Deputy Chief, Greg McCurdy, who heads Metro's homeland security division.

McCurdy cites examples like the Cole Puffinburger kidnapping, possibly by a Mexican drug cartel, the same type of terrorists responsible for recent abductions in Arizona, offshoots of Mexico's drug war. 

"We share information on that now.  We have sent officers to Phoenix; we have sent officers to L.A.  That's what people don't realize, local law enforcement entities work very closely together," says McCurdy.

If that already strong partnership is coupled with a stronger federal partnership, it could help prevent Las Vegas, a city with 200,000 visitors on any given day, from becoming the next target.

One suggestion Sheriff Gillespie made to lawmakers was to create a homeland security advisory panel that would speak directly with the chiefs and sheriffs of major cities and counties.

That would keep even the most sensitive of information at the highest levels, but still bring it to the local level.