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Reader Reviews for "Policing Las Vegas - A History of Law Enforcement in Southern Nevada"

Reviewed by Dennis Griffin	5/4/2005
Policing Las Vegas Book Review By Keith Bettinger There’s a great book that just hit the market – Policing Las Vegas, by Dennis Griffin. As Las Vegas, NV reaches its Centennial in May 2005, the book, that is a complete and unvarnished history of law enforcement in this wild and unique city, is there to introduce the reader to the crime fighters that made Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department what it is today. Take the time to visit with Hiram Powell, the rough and tough street cop, who tangled in the 1940s with Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel on numerous occasions. Hi always came out the winner, even with Bugsy having friends in the business, if you know what I mean. If you think Hi’s story in the book is fascinating, you should take the time to meet him in person. Yes, he still lives here in town. Meet Herman Moody, one of the first African-American police officers in the city of Las Vegas. Find out what it was like to work the rough west side of the small but growing city. Herman gave the city of Las Vegas more than thirty years of service. He too is still in town and shares his experiences with his friends. Meet the modern age of law enforcement as a very busy department serves the ever-expanding community of Las Vegas and Clark County. Come and meet today’s heroes of the department like Enrique Hernandez, who after an anything but routine traffic stop, was shot numerous times by the criminal he pursued. Although severely wounded, Enrique has fought hard to recover and has returned to limited duty. Also meet Dennis Devitte, who while off duty was confronted by armed robbers, and even though he faced superior firepower, took the robbers on, was shot eight times, but was still able to return fire and kill one of the robbers. Mr. Griffin was able to write Policing Las Vegas with the cooperation of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. This fantastic book was three years in the making. When the project was undertaken, Mr. Griffin told the department he would cover the history of the department, not just the good stories, but all the stories. He has covered both the good and the bad, and how it has affected this well respected police department. In fact, at a recent book signing and reception, Sheriff Bill Young, honored Mr. Griffin by attending the event and praised Mr. Griffin for his outstanding book, Policing Las Vegas.