Captain Joshua Martinez
Bureau Commander

In February 2012, Sheriff Douglas Gillespie created LVMPD's Office of Internal Oversight to provide a continual review process for all issues surrounding the use of deadly force by police officers. In the years since 2012, the bureau has evolved into what is now the Internal Oversight and Constitutional Policing Bureau (IOCP). The IOCP consists of three sections: Critical Incident Review Team (CIRT), Force Investigation Team (FIT) and Office of Internal Oversight (OIO), all of which perform a critical role in the process first outlined by Sheriff Gillespie. As an agency that places the highest value in human life, we are committed to reducing the number of deadly force incidents by our officers and providing more public accountability and transparency in all areas related to the responsibilities of our police officers and the use of deadly force.

Vision and Goals

Our vision is to significantly reduce deadly force incidents. We will accomplish this by providing a continuous critical review in order to be more accountable to the community.  

Goals: 

The goals of the IOCP Bureau are based upon seven fundamentals of Policy, Training, Tactics, Leadership, Investigations, Accountability and Community Inclusion.

1. Ensure LVMPD policies are current, relevant, and meet the criteria of constitutional policing. 

2. Ensure training that allows officers to police safely and effectively within the guidelines of LVMPD Policy and law. 

3. Ensure tactics employed by police officers are safe and reflect the appropriate level of force while emphasizing de-escalation.  

4. Ensure leadership is provided to officers in order to uphold the standards of LVMPD policy, training, tactics and law.

5. Conduct timely, thorough, objective and independent investigations based upon the standards of LVMPD Policy and law. 

6. Ensure LVMPD employees are held accountable to both internal and external standards.

7. Build a culture that supports organizational transparency and community inclusion.

History of the Office of Internal Oversight

COPS Office Review

In December of 2011, Sheriff Gillespie contacted the Department of Justice in Washington DC for their assistance. LVMPD partnered with the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office, which is a branch of the Department of Justice. As a result, LVMPD had an independent investigation conducted into its use of force policies and procedures.

Collaborative Reform Process

In November 2012, the COPS Office completed the assessment and included 75 reforms and recommendations for improvement to LVMPD.

Collaborative Reform Model, Final Assessment Report of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, May 2014

In May 2014, a final assessment report was released to document LVMPD's progress toward reforming policies and practices. The report demonstrated LVMPD's continued work to address the public safety needs and concerns of the community.

Use of Force Policy Review

LVMPD recognized the need for improvement in the use of deadly force. An extensive review of the Use of Force Policy began in February 2012. LVMPD completed the review and implementation of the changes in May 2012, conducted extensive training for LVMPD personnel and announced the updated policy to the public in July 2012.  The following is a link to a LVMPD video addressing the topic:  Sheriff's video. The updated policy from 2020 can be found here:  Use of Force Policy.

Body Worn Camera Policy Review

LVMPD's emphasis on body worn camera (BWC) usage is paramount to maximize transparency, public trust, and professionalism when interacting with the public.  The BWC is also a critical device that captures video and audio evidence which can be used for internal and criminal investigations.  LVMPD's BWC policy can be found here: Body Worn Camera Policy.

ACLU & NAACP Petition Recommendations

The local chapters of the ACLU and NAACP also reached out with recommended changes and improvements to LVMPD's Use of Force procedures. The OIO reviewed these recommendations and changes were made to the Use of Force policy. These changes and additional changes to the department can be found in the Collaborative Reform Model, Final Assessment Report of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, May 2014.