LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A moving billboard seen on valley streets this week led to many questions from Channel 13 viewers. Chief among them: Why?
You may have seen digital billboards on a truck showcasing a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Captain with statements like "Do not support LVMPD's Captain Reyes" and "Captain Reyes, Morale plummets under his leadership."
The billboards were paid for by the Las Vegas Police Protective Association. I spoke with Detective Steve Grammas, the President of the LVPPA, to learn more and answer your questions.
Why was the billboard truck used?
According to Grammas, issues were raised by officers and staff working under Capt. Landon Reyes.
"[We had] multiple complaints from our officers, our detectives, and honestly, supervisors who work directly under him about his decisions and the direction that he's having the officers go. One lieutenant had made mention that he had a conversation with the captain and the captain went into a briefing room and derogatorily spoke about that lieutenant to the troops," Grammas said. "We also had some information from folks in the briefing rooms that he was going in and talking about the PPA specifically, making references to the lawsuit that our officers won for overtime pay, which was $19 million, and alluding to where's the money. We're waiting on the department to sign that agreement so we have no control of where the money is."
When officers tried to go to Reyes' boss, Chief Jose Hernandes, Grammas says their concerns were dismissed.
"I've known him my whole career. I've seen a change in him and I think the two of them are friends," Grammas said. "When the complaints and concerns were brought to him, he said that's just whining detectives or it's officers that are afraid to be held accountable and just kind of washed it aside. Feeling that his immediate supervision wasn't going to do anything, we knew we had to do something on behalf of our officers. ... We think outside the box here in defense of our cops and when they're being wronged, we're the only ones that can step up and do something. If we don't, they don't have the ability to go and tell their captain, as a two-year patrol officer, hey, I don't think you know what you're doing. I think you're messing up. That's why we're here."
Grammas also wanted to make very clear the goal of the billboards is to promote change, not attack the department.
"Sheriff McMahill, Undersheriff Walsh, and folks like that, they're great people but they've got a lot of things going on and I think they entrust the lower supervision ranks to do their job to take care of their issues. I applaud Sheriff McMahill for the work he does. He ran on the campaign that said we're going to treat our cops in a way that they've never been treated or taken care of before and by improved morale, they're going to take care of the community better," Grammas said. "This isn't a slander piece. This is someone has to do something fairly outlandish that will result in change."
Where was the truck being driven?
The digital billboard truck was driven in the area near the South Central Area Command, where Reyes works, on Wednesday and Thursday.
"We purchase, annually, these billboards along I-15 and the 95 but knowing the billboards on the freeway are limited by how many times it runs and who can see it, we've morphed into the billboard truck and we can direct and focus that in ways that we want in specific areas," Grammas explained. "I needed it to be effective so [Reyes] saw how upset we were on behalf of our members and it was focused there."
Is this the first time the union has done this?
No.
"We've used [the billboards] for good at the holidays. We run ads about please don't drink and drive and things like that," Grammas said. "The reason the billboards came about, the previous administration, we had an issue over a contract issue that we thought was very, very outside the confines of what we normally do so we used the billboards on I-15 and the 95."
What has the reaction to the billboards been?
You won't see the Reyes billboards on the truck past Thursday and Grammas said they've already done their job.
"I have heard that Landon went into swing shift briefing [on Wednesday] and asked hey, is there something I'm doing that isn't welcomed or liked by you all. From what I was told, it was a good briefing, that the swing shift folks did voice concerns with how he's operating and kind of running them ragged and doing things like that," Grammas said. "I hope he looks at it and goes this is an opportunity for me to grow. I may not have all the answers to everything and I need to lean on the people underneath me and not just tell them what they're going to do. That's the hope here and that's what we hope we're going to get to."
Will the union use billboards like this again in the future?
Maybe.
"We think outside the box here in defense of our cops and when they're being wronged, we're the only ones that can step up and do something," Grammas said. "If we don't, they don't have the ability to go and tell their captain as a two-year patrol officer, hey, I don't think you know what you're doing. I think you're messing up. That's why we're here."
I reached out to Metro on Thursday to request a statement and give them the opportunity to share more from their perspective.
As of the time this article was published, I have not heard back.