The Clark County School DistrictPolice Department is responsible for policing on or about all of the district properties. The mission of the CCSDPD is to provide a safe, secure, and nurturing learning environment which is conducive to education. CCSDPD Officers are certified by Nevada's Peace Officer Standards and Training as Category I sworn peace officers, defined by NRS 289.470.9 and have the authority to make arrests and issue criminal and traffic citations. The CCSDPD has a workforce of 49 civilian employees and 161 sworn officers. The command and executive staff consist of 17 sergeants, six lieutenants, two captains, and a chief of police. The CCSDPD is divided into four police Area Commands with only one police officers assigned to every high school and patrol officers assigned to patrol each command area, primed to respond to the needs of all District elementary, middle, and high schools. In addition, CCSDPD police officers patrol 24/7 on three different shifts covering all property and buildings belonging to CCSD. The CCSDPD also has a Motorcycle Traffic Unit with four Officers and one Sergeant assigned, who respond to district vehicle accidents and traffic concerns. There is a Detective Bureau, Training Bureau, and Communications Bureau consisting of a Fingerprint Unit, Records Unit, and Dispatch Center, totaling about 21 civilian employees. The head of the department is the Chief of School Police, and is currently held by James Ketsaa since 2008. The schools patrolled are located across Clark County, Nevada, which is the fifth-largest school district in the nation, covering 7,910 square miles and includes the metropolitan Las Vegas area, all outlying communities, and rural areas. CCSD has more than 309,000 students located at 352 schools, with over 30,000 employees consisting of administration, teachers, and support staff.
History
The department was originally formed in 1967 as school security and it was not until 1971 that the state legislature granted the officers in the department status as police officers. On July 7, 2007, Nevada Revised Statutes expanded the patrol areas for school police to include traffic duty on streets adjacent to school property. The motto of the Clark CountySchool District Police Department is "Prevention Before Apprehension," which can be seen painted on the rears of their vehicles.
