The Nevada Police Union (NPU) said its members “overwhelmingly” have “no confidence” in Democrat Gov. Steve Sisolak, who is seeking reelection against Republican Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo.
The NPU, which says it is the Silver State’s largest police union, held a vote with its members from Oct. 14 -17 resulting in “95.3 percent (451-22) of the voting members declaring ‘No Confidence’ in Governor Sisolak,” the union announced on Tuesday. The police union’s announcement comes just days after Sisolak lost the endorsement of a top teachers union and just weeks before a high-stakes, extremely close gubernatorial election.
Dan Gordon, president of NPU, said:
The state is collecting approximately $1 billion more revenue than projected this year along with billions in federal funds coming into the state. Yet once again, state police have been left out and our vacancy and turnover rates continue to be ignored. It has become clear that our members believe public safety is not a priority of this governor and that is why they have overwhelmingly declared no confidence in Governor Sisolak to every address these critical issues.
NPU said is has “continuously sounded the alarm on pay inequity and poor working conditions that has caused a record high turnover rate and vacancies of state police, which leaves Nevadans less safe” and slammed Sisolak for not using funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to support police.
“While many states have used these funds to support police, the governor’s office claimed using these funds in this manner was not appropriate or a priority,” The NPU stated, adding that it even engaged with Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), who subsequently sent a memo to Sisolak’s office about the “appropriate use of the funds for public safety.”
“Similarly, U.S. President Biden called for states to use federal resources to make investments in public safety and law enforcement,” the statement continues. “Even still, Governor Sisolak took no action. The final straw and motion for a vote of no confidence came after Governor Sisolak dismissed the senator’s memo.”
The NPU also accused Sisolak of overseeing the increase in Public Employees’ Retirement System and health insurance costs, reduced uniform allowances, and mandated furlough days.
“These increases exacerbated a state police pay inequity of 25-50 percent below their counterparts at the local level,” according to the NPU.
Sisolak did not appear to address the NPU’s scathing review on social media, though the Lombardo campaign weighed in on the news, calling the union’s lack of confidence in Sisolak “unprecedented.”
“Over the past week, Steve Sisolak has received a ‘no confidence’ vote from two critical unions in the state, the Clark County Education Association and the Nevada Police Union. This lack of support and confidence in a sitting governor is unprecedented in Nevada and speaks to Sisolak’s absolute failure to lead on every level,” Lombardo campaign spokesperson Elizabeth Ray said in a statement.