HENDERSON (KTNV) — Henderson Police Chief Reggie Rader has returned to the city he calls home, bringing 27 years of experience from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department to lead Henderson's police force.
In an exclusive interview with Channel 13, I sat down with Chief Rader who shared his deep connection to Henderson, where he attended Greenspun Middle School and Green Valley High School.
INTERVIEW | You can watch my extended interview with Chief Rader here
"It's a homecoming for me and my Henderson roots are deep. Not only did I go to high school here and my family lives here now... they are going to school here... I coach my kids basketball team. They convinced me to coach a high school basketball team... which was a lot. My daughter is doing theatre and plays. It's such a great community," Rader said.
Henderson has consistently ranked as one of the safest cities in America, a distinction that Rader attributes to city leadership's commitment to public safety.
"Yes, and I think that just shows the commitment from the city leadership, from the mayor. They always make public safety the number one priority, they put a ton of resources and money into that public safety. A lot of money goes to police and fire for those very same reasons because we know that's what matters to people and that's what's going to get people to move to Henderson," Rader said.
This commitment to safety was a major factor in Rader's decision to accept the position as Henderson's police chief.
WATCH | Full remarks from Reggie Rader announcement as new Henderson Police Chief
"It makes even coming over here as the chief of police that much better or that much more desirable because they do have that investment in making this the best police department, making this the safest community," Rader said.
Rader's path to law enforcement began when his mother, a child protective service worker, did a home visit with a Metro detective. That encounter changed his career trajectory.
"My son's gonna join Henderson Explorers. He really wants to be a cop and this detective said you gotta go to Metro. They have this cadet program, so that's why the only reason I went over there, but I'm happy to say we do have a cadet program now at Henderson because we wanna give those same opportunities to the best and brightest coming right out of high school," Rader said.
After one month on the job, Rader is enthusiastic about the department's momentum and the support he's received from both officers and community members.
"I think we have a lot of positive momentum. I've been able to meet with a lot of folks that are out there, the men and women that are doing the police work every single day are fantastic dispatchers, the folks working at the jail, and they're just ready, they're ready to move forward, they just have the best attitudes and there's a whole lot of optimism, so I feel like I'm coming in with a lot of momentum," Rader said.
The warm welcome from Henderson residents has particularly impressed the new chief.
"The residents are fantastic, you know, you go eat lunch and everybody's saying hello and they're, you know, clapping and they're applauding, high-fiving you. You just, you don't get that everywhere. I've been a cop for a long, long time. I haven't really seen that. So everything from the support from the city, the community support, the officers ready to keep moving forward, it's just I couldn't be happier to land in this position," Rader said.
Chief Rader plans to implement new training programs for Henderson officers and expand the department as the city continues its rapid growth.
WATCH | Reggie Rader sworn in as Henderson Police Chief
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.