Latest news with #KevinMcMahill
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Las Vegas sheriff frustrated after red-light camera, DUI bills fail: ‘We can do better'
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Several proposals in the Nevada Legislature aimed at curbing dangerous and impaired driving failed, leaving LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill frustrated as more people in his jurisdiction die on valley roads. 'I got to be honest with you, I feel like I failed,' McMahill, who leads the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, told the 8 News Now Investigators during an exclusive interview Wednesday. 'We can do better. We absolutely can do better, and politics played a role in these things not getting passed.' The 120-day legislative session ended Tuesday at midnight. Nevada lawmakers failed to pass any legislation this session to amend the state's DUI laws where death is involved, or several proposals to allow red-light cameras. McMahill pushed for the cameras in an attempt to discourage reckless and speeding drivers. 'I'm sick and tired of people dying on our roadways because of the bad behavior of other drivers,' he told a legislative committee in March. The bill failed to move forward and died in April. Two proposals aimed at enhancing sentences for DUI involving death also failed to become law. Nevada's DUI-with-death law carries a sentence of 2-20 years. A 1995 Nevada law requires judges to sentence a person to a range, meaning the maximum amount of time a DUI driver who kills can serve in prison before going before the parole board is eight years. The 8 News Now Investigators have found most drivers who kill serve those eight years or less, not 20. An amended version of Republican Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo's crime bill, Senate Bill 457, would have increased the maximum amount of prison time for a DUI driver who kills to 25 years. Lombardo told the 8 News Now Investigators in March that he wanted to change the law to allow prosecutors to charge a DUI driver who kills with second-degree murder. The amended version would have carried a similar maximum sentence – 25 years — as the state's second-degree murder statute. However, the bill failed to pass the Nevada Senate amid a last-minute scramble and speech. A second proposal, Senate Bill 304, would have amended the state's vehicular homicide law to include all DUIs involving death. As currently written, a driver must have three prior DUI convictions to face a vehicular-homicide charge. The proposal would have negated the prior conviction clause, carrying a possible sentence of 10 to 25 years or 10 to life, the same as the state's second-degree murder statute. 'There's just tragedy, tragedy, tragedy all the way around, and it sickens me that I wasn't able to get this done, quite frankly,' McMahill said. Opponents have argued that imprisoning a person for years on the taxpayers' dime is not effective 'Who do you think is working against this?' 8 News Now Investigator David Charns asked the sheriff. 'I think there's a lot of people out there who advocate that this mass incarceration piece hasn't worked over the years,' McMahill said. 'And look, there's a few arguments I think that are valid on that side of the house. There's also a bunch of people that think we've become very soft on crime, and I think there's some arguments that are true there as well.' Nevada law classifies a person's first DUI as a misdemeanor. It carries a potential jail sentence of 2-180 days, though the law is written to say the time can be served through community service. The crime becomes a felony after a person's third DUI within seven years. Tougher penalties, including potential prison time, do not begin unless a person joins that three-plus club. A felony DUI conviction can carry prison time and require a driver to have an interlock device placed in their vehicle. One driver the 8 News Now Investigators followed racked up the three cases so quickly that he did not have a second DUI conviction before his third arrest, meaning all three remained misdemeanors. Records show in those first three DUI cases, municipal court judges ordered the driver to attend classes, stay out of trouble and pay a fine. 'The punishments are literally a slap on the hand,' McMahill said. 'The multiple, multiple DUI, I've watched your reports, you know exactly what I'm talking about, people can get away with a DUI over and over again and that's purely not acceptable.' A third proposal involving misdemeanor DUI, Senate Bill 309, passed and — 36 hours after the end of the session — showed as enrolled in the legislative system. The bill changes the minimum jail requirements for a person's second DUI offense within seven years, amending a possible penalty from 10 days in jail to 20. The bill also lowers the blood-alcohol threshold for when a defendant would be ordered into treatment. Several people blamed the failure of the governor's crime bill on its late introduction and last-minute votes in the final minutes of the legislative session. The governor submitted the crime bill in February, but the Legislative Counsel Bureau did not finalize it until April, a spokesperson for his office said. They added that Democratic leadership did not give the bill a hearing until May 28 — days before the end of the session. Lawmakers will not reconvene, except for special circumstances at the request of the governor, until February 2027. 8 News Now Investigator David Charns can be reached at dcharns@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Las Vegas police to rejoin ICE program to hold undocumented immigrants already in jail: ‘I don't want them in my community anymore'
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Metro police will soon hold undocumented immigrants already in their custody and who have committed crimes for an additional 48 hours as part of an agreement with federal officials. The 287(g) agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) allows Metro officers to serve a federal warrant on an inmate and keep that person in the Clark County Detention Center for no more than two additional days. 'I don't want them in my community anymore,' LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill said about undocumented criminals already in his jail during an exclusive interview Wednesday with the 8 News Now Investigators. 'We had child pornographers being released; folks that had shot people being released,' McMahill said. 'Yesterday we had a guy that shot at a bunch of people get released — assault with a deadly weapon — and that was also a part of the catalyst to do this that these are people that have committed very serious offenses and were in the country illegally and because of manpower issues and the timing we couldn't turn them over to ICE.' Metro applied to the program last week, McMahill said. He believed the approval was imminent. Metro alerts ICE during booking and release for violent felonies and crimes that fall in line with the Laken Riley Act, which includes theft and shoplifting. However, ICE must obtain a warrant and pick up the inmate. The program essentially means ICE will have two additional days to pick up the inmate. As of Tuesday, 350 inmates were ICE-notification eligible, McMahill said. In an interview earlier this year, McMahill said ICE routinely picks up about 40% of the inmates whom Metro has notified them about. He added Wednesday that ICE makes daily pickups at the jail. 'These individuals that have criminal complaints and conduct and have been convicted and/or charged, and they're being released from our jail, we're making notifications, and we're going to continue to do that,' McMahill said. Metro will not partake in mass deportation 'roundups,' McMahill said earlier this year. The immigration issue is personal to McMahill. A previously deported undocumented immigrant driving drunk killed LVMPD Officer Colton Pulsipher last December. Metro police previously took part in 287(g) until 2019, when a federal court ruling ended the partnership. Last week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security listed Las Vegas as a 'sanctuary jurisdiction,' though there is no city or Metro policy on the matter, and both the sheriff and Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley have publicly said otherwise. The department later removed the entire list. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cybertruck police cruisers set to patrol World Cup matches in Mexico
Tesla's roughly 7,000-pound stainless steel Cybertruck may not have sold particularly well among the general public, but it does appear to have found a receptive audience in one particular cohort: law enforcement. Police departments across the US—and as far away as the Qatar—have been spotted driving the electric behemoth. Now, a jet-black, militarized Cybertruck is reportedly among the vehicles set to respond to potential incidents during 2026 World Cup matches taking place in Jalisco, Mexico. Officials from the central state of Jalisco said this week that several Cybertrucks will be among 300 new tactical, armored vehicles added to its fleet. The move, first reported by the Jalisco-based newspaper El Informador, is part of a broader effort to revamp the state's police force in preparation for the influx of tourists expected to visit the capitol, Guadalajara, for World Cup matches next year. (US and Canadian cities will also host matches). The Cybertrucks, which will reportedly be used primarily for surveillance and emergency response efforts, represent just a small portion of the new vehicles being added to the police force ahead of the tournament. According to El Informador, the Cybertruck will patrol densely populated tourist areas and collect data on potential criminal activity. It will also be used to support investigations and assist in intelligence operations involving drones. Earlier this week, police parked one of the new Cybertrucks, outfitted with red and blue flashing lights beneath its undercarriage, in front of the Guadalajara Cathedral as part of a public display. La Cybertruck de Tesla es la nueva adquisición del Gobierno de Jalisco. Este vehículo ya fue presentado y se integrará a los operativos policiales en el estado, aportando funciones de inteligencia#TráficoZMGPeriodismoCiudadano — TráficoZMGuadalajara (@Trafico_ZMG) May 27, 2025 Tesla did not immediately respond to Popular Science's request for comment but the company's CEO Elon Musk has made public overtures seemingly showing support for police use of Cybertrucks. This isn't the first time police forces have experimented with Cybertrucks. Late last year, a police department in Irvine, California, reportedly spent over $150,000 on a single Cybertruck for use in anti-drug events at local schools. The Greenfield Police Department, also in California, similarly announced plans to add a Cybertruck and 'several' other Teslas to its fleet. More recently, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said his department would add 10 Cybertrucks to its fleet, thanks to a 'very generous donation' from an unnamed individual. One of those new Cybertrucks, according to local outlet WSAZ 3, will reportedly be designated as a SWAT vehicle. These police Cybertrucks are custom-built to meet law enforcement needs by third-party modification firms. One such California-based vehicle customization company, Unplugged Performance, previously confirmed with Popular Science that it was 'working with police departments' on Cybertruck patrol vehicles. The company has also sold upgraded Tesla Model Y vehicles to the Anaheim Police Department. Militarized Cybertrucks have also appeared outside the United States. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has posted photos of himself driving a machine gun-mounted Cybertruck through the streets of Grozny. More recently, Qatari police deployed several Cybertrucks as part of a motorcade escorting U.S. President Donald Trump during his visit. During the trip, the president accepted a $400 million Boeing 747-8 jet donated by the Qatari government. Related: [Militarized Cybertruck cop cars are coming] Cybertrucks for military and law enforcement use cases make some amount of sense, at least at first glance. The vehicles are fast—capable of reaching 60 miles per hour in under four seconds—rugged, relatively long-range for an electric vehicle, and very, very large. Musk has famously praised the truck's 'bulletproof' stainless steel exoskeleton, though more recent reports suggest those claims hold true only for certain low caliber firearms. It's also probably not a great idea to kick soccer balls at it either. ¿Patrullas del futuro? Jalisco apuesta a la tecnología para combatir el crimen: integra 300 Cybertrucks a su flota policial. Estos vehículos eléctricos, parte de un "plan de seguridad emergente", prometen mayor movilidad en zonas urbanas y rurales. ¿Imaginas ver estos gigantes… — (@michangoonga) May 25, 2025 'There are some attributes that work,' former auto engineer and The Autopian co-founder David Tracy told Wired earlier this year. 'It's off-road capable and has big 35-inch tires and good ground clearance. It has stainless steel panels that can take some amount of abuse.' But even then, there are still other glaring reliability issues that might make Cybertrucks more trouble than they're worth for police departments. Earlier this year, Tesla recalled 46,096 Cybertrucks—virtually every unit produced—due to a large strip of stainless steel exterior trim that, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), could 'delaminate and detach from the vehicle' while on the road. Meanwhile, disgruntled owners have taken to online forums to complain that the so-called 'stainless steel' alloy has shown signs of rust after only brief exposure to rain. Whether or not these new vehicles will make a difference in keeping soccer fans safe also remains to be seen. The 2026 World Cup kicks off June 11, 2026.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Yahoo
LVMPD hosts 8th annual Hidden Heroes Black & White Gala
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department hosted its eighth annual Hidden Heroes Black & White Gala Saturday, recognizing 37 members of the Honor Guard. Sheriff Kevin McMahill and nearly 300 others gathered to raise funds for the police department's community engagement initiatives. Held for the first time at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, the night was led by Metro's Executive Director, Karen Marben. 'Each of the Honor Guard members will be congratulated personally by Undersheriff Andrew Walsh and Sheriff Kevin McMahill on stage,' Marben shared with 8 News Now. 'Honor Guard works behind the scenes in honoring fallen officers, presenting various colors around town.' Metro Traffic Officer and Honor Guard member, Michael Lemley told 8 News Now that it doesn't just end with the fallen officers, but the focus then shifts to those left behind. 'We take care of the family. We walk them through every step of the process and then once the honors are all rendered, we meet up in May in Carson City to put their names on the state memorial. Then we travel to DC to put their names on the national memorial as well,' Lemley said. Honor Guard members received certificates from the LVMPD Foundation and Senator Jacky Rosen in addition to a proclamation from Clark County Commissioner William McCurdy. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Yahoo
What's Driving You Crazy? – Emotional testimony from Metro Sheriff Kevin McMahill in support of red light cameras
LAS VEGAS ( KLAS ) – While Metro Sheriff Kevin McMahill made headlines Monday as he testified in favor of red light cameras in Nevada, we also want to let you know how emotional he got. In talking about how many people die in traffic crashes in Las Vegas, McMahill noted that he was Undersheriff at the time of the 1 October mass shooting in 2017: '58 people died that night. Our traffic fatalities are the equivalent of three OneOctobers occurring every single year. Fatal traffic accidents are gruesome scenes to investigate: bodies that are ripped apart and mangled. And then we have to deal with the loved ones that are left behind.' Mcmahill says fatal crashes – and every crisis police try to take care of – don't just affect victim families: 'One of the reasons that I started the Wellness Bureau at Metro was to take care of the heart, mind, body and soul of my police officers. They see too much, hear too much, feel too much, sometimes smell too much. We have a responsibility as leaders to try to reduce the amount of trauma that they have to see across the board.' As 8NewsNow has reported McMahill says he would've opposed red light cameras 10 years ago, but not any more. We'll keep you posted on the proposed legislation in Carson City. Buckle up, drive carefully – and, please put down that phone! You're welcome to join the 'Driving You Crazy' conversation at: traffic8@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
