Joe Lombardo for sheriff

He stood tall in wake of tragedy

The race for Clark County sheriff is crowded, but it could be over June 12. Four candidates are challenging incumbent Joe Lombardo. Because it’s a nonpartisan race, any candidate who earns more than 50 percent of the vote in the primary wins the election.

Mr. Lombardo started with Metro in 1989, and voters elected him sheriff in 2014. Since then, he has undertaken a series of initiatives to improve public safety and service. In 2016, he reversed a ban on Metro responding to noninjury crashes. With a push from the Legislature, he worked to outfit all officers with body-worn cameras.

Upon taking office, Mr. Lombardo disbanded specialty units focused on gangs, robbery, domestic violence and drugs. He reversed course in 2017 after gang-related violent crime spiked in 2016. He’s also overseen a hiring spree since the Legislature approved a sales tax hike to fund additional officers.

But Mr. Lombardo’s supreme performance in the wake of the unthinkable will always define his tenure.

As the shooting started on Oct. 1, Mr. Lombardo was having a late dinner on the Strip with some out-of-town friends. He bolted from the table and barreled toward the carnage in his unmarked vehicle. By 1:30 a.m. — three hours after the horrific events — the sheriff faced the cameras.

With the eyes of the world upon him, Mr. Lombardo represented Las Vegas with an admirable combination of dignity, resolve and human sorrow. As Las Vegas grieved and looked for answers, Mr. Lombardo stood tall and composed. “It’s important for people to know what I know, when I know it. Just to calm the public,” he said. Mr. Lombardo was the proverbial rock and an exemplary representative of the thousands of men and women in Metro who defend this community each day and every hour.

In the days, weeks and months following Oct. 1, Mr. Lombardo’s leadership skills were readily apparent. While the investigation may never uncover a motive for the shooter’s murderous actions, Las Vegans should never doubt the commitment that Mr. Lombardo and his department exhibited during the darkest hour in the name of public service.

Mr. Lombardo’s department could stand to improve its commitment to openness and making public records available in a timely fashion. That should be a priority for his second term. But Mr. Lombardo has done more than enough to deserve re-election. He earned the confidence of Southern Nevadans during and after the horrific events of Oct. 1, handling himself in exemplary fashion.

The Review-Journal recommends a vote for

in the race for Clark County sheriff.

Chip Bok Creators Syndicate

Joe Lombardo